


Forbidden Temptations

by FrankenSpine



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Coma, Complete, Eventual Romance, Extramarital Affairs, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Major Character Injury, Multi, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Post-Divorce, Secret Relationship, Taboo, Teacher-Student Relationship, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-03-29 12:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 22,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19020397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankenSpine/pseuds/FrankenSpine
Summary: Regina Mills is a high school history teacher who loves her job, but when she gets a new student in her class, seventeen year-old Emma Nolan, she finds someone who seems to be just as passionate about history as she is. However, she soon realizes that she wants to be more than just Emma's teacher.





	1. New Student

Regina loved her job. The pay was decent, but she didn’t do it for the money. Growing up, she had always had an affinity for learning, especially when it came to history, and now, she had the opportunity to teach her students all about the history of the world. Some seemed genuinely intrigued, while others tended to snore their way through her lessons, but she did her very best to encourage them and make the class as interesting as she could.

On this particular day, as she was setting her things out onto her desk and pulling up a PowerPoint, she saw movement in her peripheral and looked up to find a blonde girl with a look of relative unease entering the classroom. She offered a friendly smile to the girl, whom she didn’t recognize.

“Hello,” she greeted, “I take it you’re a new student?”

The girl hesitated, but nodded slowly. “Yes, um, I’m Emma,” she said quietly, “Emma Nolan.”

Regina’s smile widened. “It’s nice to meet you, Emma. I’m Miss Mills.”

Emma offered the faintest hint of a smile before making her way to the very back of the room, clutching her books tightly to her chest. Regina watched her for a moment, hoping she would come out of her shell by the end of the hour. Regina knew exactly what it was like to be shy, having been the same way at Emma’s age, but she’d become more extroverted once she began attending college, and now, here she was.

Soon, other students came shuffling into the room and filling up the little desks. None of them seemed to notice Emma, as she was sitting away from the rest of them with her head down, staring blankly at the crude graffiti scrawled into the wooden surface of her desk. Before long, everyone was seated. The bell rang shortly after, and Regina went to close the door.

“Good morning, everyone,” she beamed.

“Morning, Miss Mills,” most of the students said in unison.

“We have a new student with us today,” said the teacher, gesturing to the apprehensive blonde in the back. “This is Emma. I’d like you all to introduce yourselves. Ruby, you start.”

There was a tall brunette at the front of the class. “Hi, I’m Ruby. _Duh.”_

Everyone laughed, save for Regina and Emma. There were roughly fifteen other students in the class, so the introductions went by rather quickly. There was Ruby— _duh—_ Quinn, Killian, Dorothy, Aurora, Mulan, Peter, _Other Peter_ (AKA Malcolm), Ashley, Sean, Will, Eric, Merida, Elsa, and Anna.

“Alright class, since it’s Columbus Day, I thought today would be the best time to go over the discovery of America,” said Regina. She walked over to the screen where the slideshow was pulled up. “Christopher Columbus discovered America in the year 1492. Can anyone tell me how he did it?”

Quinn snickered. “Dumbass thought he was going to India.”

Regina frowned. “Watch your language,” she warned.

“Sorry, Miss Mills.”

Regina just shook her head and looked around. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Emma’s hand was raised. “Yes, Emma?”

“Actually, Columbus didn’t discover America,” said the timid blonde, “Leif Erikson did, five-hundred years before Columbus was even born.”

“Leif Erikson, huh?” asked Ruby.

Again, Quinn snickered behind her. _“Hinga dinga durgen.”_ This sparked laughter from the rest of the group (minus Emma, of course).

Regina narrowed her eyes at Quinn. “Last warning,” she said firmly. Her face softened as she turned back towards Emma. “You were saying?”

“Columbus really _did_ think he was going to India,” Emma continued, “That’s why people call Native Americans ‘Indians.’ They actually came here from Siberia.”

Regina’s eyes widened, as did her smile. “Wow, Emma, you really know your stuff. I’m impressed.” A smile tugged at Emma’s lips, but she said nothing until Regina quizzed her some more. “Do you know how America got its name?”

“It comes from Amerigo Vespucci,” said Emma, “His name in Latin was _Americus.”_

“Okay, I like her,” Quinn declared, “She’s awesome.”

The others nodded in agreement. _“Yeah,”_ they said in unison.

It was impossible for Regina to miss the spark that ignited in Emma’s soft green eyes upon hearing this. “Thank you for sharing this with us, Emma. Very informative. Have you ever considered becoming a teacher?”

Emma tensed up a bit. “Um, no, not really.”

Regina offered her a reassuring smile. “Well, maybe you should give it some thought. I’m sure you’d be wonderful at it.”

Heat rose to the blonde’s cheeks. “Wow, um, thanks,” she said quietly. She didn’t say another word for the rest of the hour. The lesson continued, and despite Regina encouraging everyone to give feedback, most remained silent. She was truly hoping Emma would work up the courage to pipe up again, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. Eventually, the bell rang, and while the other students rushed to grab their things and hurry out of the room, Emma took her time.

Regina had no problem with this. On the contrary, it pleased her to know that at least one of her students wasn’t so eager to get out of her class as quickly as possible.

“Emma?” she asked, grabbing the blonde’s attention, “I’d like to speak with you for a moment, if you don’t mind.”

Emma hesitated. “O-Okay,” she said as she approached the teacher’s desk slowly.

Regina smiled warmly at her. “You really impressed me today, you know that? None of my students have ever been quite as interested in history as you. I have a feeling you’re going to be my top student.”

For one reason or another, this made Emma blush. “You— You really think so?”

“It certainly seems that way,” said Regina, “What class do you have next? I’ll write you a note in case you’re late.”

“Um, math,” Emma said quietly.

“With Mr. Locksley?”

“Yeah.”

Regina pulled a small sticky-note from the stack on her desk and quickly jotted down a note. She handed it to Emma, still smiling brightly. “Here you are, dear. Have a nice day.”

“Thanks,” said the blonde, “You too.”

Regina watched her new student shuffle awkwardly out of the room and into the bustling crowd of jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, goths, and the rest of the stereotypes that rampaged through the halls. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Emma Nolan was going to be her best student yet.


	2. Brainstorming

The next morning, when all of her students arrived for first period, Regina sat before the class on the edge of her desk with a wide smile spread across her face.

“Good morning,” she greeted.

 _“Morning, Miss Mills,”_ said the students.

“I was inspired yesterday, and because of that, I’ve decided to assign homework for the weekend.”

“Ah, come on, Teach, that’s child abuse!” Quinn exclaimed. Those around him snickered.

Regina raised an eyebrow at him. _“Really, Quinn?”_ She just sighed and shook her head. “Each of you must choose any historical figure and write two full pages about them. If you write three pages, I’ll give you five bonus points, but it can’t be more than three. I’m looking for an essay, not a novel.”

The class laughed, and much to Regina’s delight, she heard a quiet chuckle escape Emma as well.

“I’ll give you time in class to start brainstorming who you’d like to write about,” she told the group. She looked to Emma with a smile. “I’m sure we all know who Emma’s going to pick.” Seeing the way Emma tensed, she felt bad, thinking she’d embarrassed the girl, so she quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, I look forward to your reports. Would anyone care to share their ideas? Ruby?”

“I’m thinking Queen Elizabeth,” said Ruby.

“Excellent choice,” Regina told her, “What about you, Dorothy?”

“Um, I’m not sure yet.”

“That’s fine. You’ve still got the rest of the class, and an entire weekend to think about it,” Regina assured, “Anyone else?”

Quinn raised his hand.

“Yes, Quinn?”

The young man grinned. “I’m gonna write about Jimi Hendrix.”

Regina chuckled. “Unexpected, but I’ll allow it.”

_“Sweet.”_

“What about the rest of you? Any ideas?”

Peter raised his hand.

“Peter?”

“I’m thinking of Mickey Mantle.”

“The baseball player?”

“Yeah,” said Peter, “Do you like baseball, Miss Mills?”

Regina smiled brightly at him. “I do, though I haven’t watched a game in some time,” she said, “My father used to play baseball.”

“Was he a pro?”

Regina’s smile fell, and a sigh escaped her. “He could have been,” she said softly. She shook her head. “Anyway, who else wants to share their ideas?”

Elsa raised her hand.

“Yes, Elsa?”

“Is it okay if I do Leif Erikson, too? My ancestors were from Norway, so I think it would be really neat.”

“Yes, that’s fine,” said Regina, “I just don’t want all of you writing about Leif Erikson.” She looked to Elsa’s sister, Anna. “What about you, Anna?”

“Maybe Ragnar Lothbrok,” said the redhead.

“You mean the Viking?”

Anna smiled. “Yeah.”

“I suppose that’s fine,” said Regina, “but don’t do your report based solely on the TV show. It may be _based_ on history, but not everything in that series is historically accurate.”

“I think I’ll write about John Lennon,” Malcolm said suddenly.

Quinn gave him a thumbs-up. “Nice.”

Regina frowned a bit. “Malcolm, you need to raise your hand if you wish to speak.”

Malcolm pondered this a moment and slowly raised his hand.

Regina gave him a pointed look. “Yes?”

_“Sorry.”_

Quinn laughed quietly, but Regina was not amused. “Quinn, don’t encourage him.”

“Why? Don’t you always say encouragement is good?”

“Not _this_ _kind_ of encouragement,” said Regina. She looked around at the rest of the students. “Anyone else?”

Merida raised her hand.

“Yes?”

“I think I’ll do Mary Read,” said the girl in her thick, Scottish accent.

“Mary Read?” asked Regina, “As in the Pirate Queen?”

Merida grinned. “That’s the one.” She looked back at Killian. “Sorry for stealin’ yer thunder, Guyliner.”

Killian just glared at her and folded his arms, but said nothing.

Regina frowned. “Merida, we don’t call people names in here,” she said firmly, “Apologize to Killian.”

Merida just shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Thank you, Merida,” Regina said with a small nod. She looked to Killian with a soft smile. “There’s nothing wrong with a little eyeliner. I like to think of it as war-paint. What about you, Killian?”

The dark-haired boy smiled a little. “I don’t know. I just like it.”

“And that’s as good a reason as any. Never let anyone keep you from doing what you enjoy. If they tell you it’s ‘weird’ or ‘different,’ just remember that we’re _all_ different. Embrace the weirdness. If everyone was the same, the world would be quite boring, don’t you think?”

Aurora raised her hand.

“Yes?” asked Regina.

“It would be like we were all asleep,” said Aurora.

“That’s a wonderful point,” said Regina, “Very thought-provoking. Well done.”

Aurora smiled softly. “Thanks, Miss Mills.”

“No,” said Regina, “Thank _you.”_

“Hey Aurora,” whispered Malcolm, “I dropped my pencil. Will you get it for me?”

The girl looked down, and instead of finding a pencil, she was met with Malcolm’s hand making the _OK_ sign. She gasped as he punched her in the arm.

 _“Malcolm!”_ Regina shouted, “Go to the office! Right now!”

Malcolm scoffed. “Come on, I was just having some fun.”

“There is nothing ‘fun’ about assaulting other students,” Regina said with a frown, “Now go see Miss Belfrey.”

Malcolm reluctantly gathered his things and headed towards the door. Regina followed after him. She looked to the class apologetically.

“Sorry, everyone,” she said, “Aurora, why don’t you come as well? That way you can explain what happened.”

“Okay,” Aurora said quietly.

She trailed after Miss Mills and headed to the Principal’s office, leaving the rest of the group alone in the classroom.

“So,” said Quinn, “What’s everyone doing this weekend?”

“Definitely not homework,” said Will.

Quinn laughed. “Right on, man.” He looked over at Emma, who was staring out the window. “What about you, new girl? Wanna hang?”

Emma slowly turned to look at him and bit her lip. “Um, sorry,” she said, “I have plans.”

“Well that’s too bad. Maybe another time?”

“Maybe,” Emma said timidly.

She turned back to the window and stared out into the distance. There were dark clouds beginning to form. It was bound to start raining soon. She sighed heavily and began doodling in her notebook, drawing little lightning bolts with stars and spaceships zipping past one another. Then she shifted to drawing a tiny Viking ship with a dragon head and shields hanging off the side. In the ship was a bearded man with a helmet and a sword.

She looked up when she heard someone walk back into the room. It was Miss Mills, looking frustrated but clearly trying not to be. Aurora and Malcolm were nowhere in sight. Emma set her pencil down, not wishing to get in trouble for doodling. Miss Mills locked eyes with her and offered a genuine smile, which, for one reason or another, made her heart skip a beat.

“Well, I hope you all have a good weekend,” said Miss Mills, “Don’t forget to do your homework. A two-page essay isn’t nearly as bad as you think. _Trust me._ Oh, and be sure to keep it school appropriate. No swearing, no innuendos, and be sure to cite your sources at the end. Paraphrase any information you come across, or include quotations to show something that someone else said.”

“Can we use Wiki?” asked Quinn.

“Yes, but not the articles themselves,” said Regina, “Look at the sources cited at the bottom of the page. Those are more likely to be accurate.”

“Thanks, Miss Mills,” said Quinn, “You’re the best.”

Regina chuckled. “Thank you, Quinn.”

Soon, the bell rang, and just like the previous morning, all the students rushed out of the classroom except for Emma. So, too, did Regina ask to speak with the timid young blonde.

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, earlier,” she said softly, “That was never my intention.”

Emma just nodded. “It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Regina offered the girl a warm smile. “I look forward to reading your report, Emma,” she said, “Have a good weekend.”

“You too,” Emma said quietly.

Just like yesterday, she shuffled awkwardly out of the room and out into the roaring sea of students. Regina watched her with a hopeful smile. Little did the teacher know, a blush had crept its way onto the blonde’s pale face.


	3. Finally Monday

After a seemingly-endless weekend, it was finally Monday, and Regina found herself back in her classroom, which felt more like home to her than anything, and smiled as her students walked in one by one. Aurora was here, but not Malcolm (which didn’t surprise Regina in the least).

“Good morning, everyone.”

 _“Morning,”_ said the tired students.

Her smile wavered a bit, however, when she realized Emma hadn’t come in. She was beginning to worry the girl wouldn’t show up, but just as the bell rang, the blonde came walking through the door.

“Good morning, Emma.”

“Morning,” mumbled the blonde.

Regina smiled at her as she passed by the desk, turning to head for the desk in the back corner. Standing up from her chair, Regina went up to the board and began writing down all the students’ names with a red marker.

“Alright, class, I want you all to come up and write the name of your historical figure next to your names. One at a time, please.”

Ruby went up first. _Queen Elizabeth._ Then Quinn. _Jimi Hendrix._ After everyone else wrote something, Emma walked slowly to the front, quickly writing down _Leif Erikson._ Three others had done the same. This kind of irritated her, but she didn’t comment on it. She just made her way back to her seat and folded her arms. Regina smiled as she looked over all the names.

“Queen Elizabeth, Jimi Hendrix, Leif Erikson, Amelia Earhart, Marilyn Monroe, Genghis Khan, Mickey Mantle, Audrey Hepburn, Adolf Hitler, _another_ Leif Erikson, Leonardo da Vinci, Mary Read, a third and fourth Leif Erikson, and— _Erik the Red?_ Anna, I thought you chose Ragnar Lothbrok?”

“Yeah, well, I thought Erik was more interesting.”

Eric winked at her. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Anna huffed. “Not _you.”_

Eric and the others laughed, save for Elsa, Emma, and Aurora.

Regina just shook her head and sighed. “Okay, I want you all to get out your essays so I can collect them.” The students did as they were told, and Regina came around to gather the papers. “I’ve also decided to give you all the opportunity to receive extra credit,” she said, “If you write a second report on another historical figure, I’ll give you ten bonus points. Oh, and it can’t be about someone that anyone else has done. Let me know if you want to do another report so I can approve the topic.”

She smiled as she got to Emma’s desk.

“Emma?” she asked softly, “Would you like to write a second paper?”

“Um, okay,” Emma said timidly.

Regina’s smile widened. “Wonderful. Anyone you have in mind?”

“I don’t know— um— Bass Reeves?”

“Bass Reeves? Hm. I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of him. I’ll look into it and let you know by the end of class, okay?”

Emma gave a small nod. “Okay.”

Regina picked up the rest of the papers and returned to her desk, piling them into a neat stack. She sat down and logged onto her computer, searching for _Bass Reeves._ What she found fascinated her, and she couldn’t wait to see what Emma would write. Right now, however, she had to focus on Emma’s _Leif Erikson_ report.

Mulan raised her hand. “Miss Mills?”

Regina looked over at the girl and smiled. “Yes, dear?”

“I’d like to write another report,” said Mulan, “Is it alright if I do Abraham Lincoln?”

“Of course,” said Regina, “I’m surprised no one chose him to begin with. Anyone else?”

Ashley raised her hand.

“Yes, Ashley?”

“I want to write about Dr. King.”

“Excellent choice,” said Regina, “I’m happy to know at least _some_ _of you_ care about history.” She looked over at Emma. “Oh, and you may write about Mr. Reeves, if you like.”

“Mr. Reeves?” asked Quinn, “You mean like _Christopher_ Reeves? Hey, Teach, I wanna write about him.”

“Very well, Quinn,” said Regina, “Just raise your hand if you wish to speak, alright?”

“Sorry.”

Regina just nodded and reached out for the stack of essays. She pulled a red pen from the drawer. “Okay, I want you all to read chapter three while I grade your papers. This will probably take me the rest of the hour.”

The students sighed and grumbled, save for Emma, who silently opened her textbook and began reading. Seeing this made Regina’s smile widen as she began grading the papers.

Ruby’s was over Queen Elizabeth. Quinn’s was about Jimi Hendrix. Killian, Will, and Elsa all did Leif Erikson, just like Emma (though Regina was saving Emma’s report for last). Dorothy chose Amelia Earhart, while Mulan opted for Genghis Khan, and Aurora picked Marilyn Monroe. Peter, of course, did Mickey Mantle. Ashely chose Audrey Hepburn and Sean decided on Adolf Hitler. Merida wrote about the infamous Mary Read, whereas Anna chose Erik the Red and Eric did his paper about Leonardo da Vinci.

And finally, last but not least, Emma indeed wrote three full pages about Leif Erikson and his discovery of North America. Leif Erikson was born in Iceland in the year 970. He died in 1020 in Greenland, which was discovered by his father, Erik Thorvaldsson— otherwise known as _Erik the Red._ Like the rest of the Norse sailors, Leif kept cats on his ship to take care of any potential rodents. It was, surprisingly enough, the fearsome Vikings who brought cuddly felines with them all across the world.

Emma’s paper was by far the longest and the most well-written out of the entire class. This pleased Regina immensely. She, of course, gave Emma the highest grade, plus bonus points for writing a third page. She realized there was still plenty of time left before the bell rang, so she got up and began passing the papers back out.

“It seems that some of you could really use the extra credit,” she said, “I suggest you take this opportunity to boost your grade.”

Quinn raised his hand.

“Yes, Quinn?”

“Uh, do you think I could change my topic?”

“Of course. Who do you want to write about?”

“Caesar.”

Regina smiled. “Excellent choice. Anyone else?”

Peter raised his hand next. Regina gave him a nod of approval. “I’d like to write about Dante.”

“I can’t wait to read it, Peter. I’ve always loved Dante’s work.”

Eric raised his hand. “Miss Mills?”

“Yes?”

“I want to do a paper on Caligula.”

“Ah yes, the Mad Emperor,” said Regina, “I look forward to seeing what you’ve written.”

“When is this gonna be due?” asked Quinn.

“This Friday,” Regina told him, “That should give you plenty of time.”

“Cool,” said Quinn.

Regina passed out the reports, and as she finally reached Emma in the back corner, she offered a warm smile, which only widened when she saw the look of awe that masked the blonde’s face upon seeing the grade written on the page.

“Well done, Emma. You really impressed me, you know that?”

“Wow, um, thanks,” said Emma, still marveling over her grade.

Next to the big red ** _A+_ **was a small message, which read: _Excellent job! I look forward to seeing your Bass Reeves report :)_

Soon, the bell rang, and Emma gathered up her things slowly as always. This time, it wasn’t Miss Mills that initiated a conversation with her. Instead, it was Emma who approached the teacher at her desk.

“Um, Miss Mills?”

Regina looked up at her with a smile. “Yes, dear?”

“Thank you for the note,” Emma said quietly, “It— It really means a lot to me.”

Regina’s smile only grew wider, revealing her perfect teeth. “You’re welcome, Emma,” she said, “Have a nice day.”

“You too,” said the blonde.

Once again, Regina watched with a smile as Emma walked out of her classroom and into the crowded hallway.

Time seemed to pass in a heartbeat. Before Regina knew it, the day was over, and it was time for her to head home. She gathered up her things, locked the door of her classroom, and made her way to the parking lot out back. As she did, she saw Emma walking across the track behind the school and heading towards the street. This confused her. Did Emma not have a car? If not, then why didn’t she just get a ride from a friend? Regina also felt a little concerned for Emma’s safety, as it was always a busy street, especially once school ended.

The brunette watched Emma until she was safely across the street and before long, completely out of sight. Regina then climbed into her Benz and set her purse in the passenger seat. She drove home for the evening and immediately started preparing tea while she skimmed through the paper. There was nothing interesting, so she tossed in a cardboard box that she planned to take to the recycling bin the next day, just as she did every Tuesday.

Soon, the tea was ready, and she poured some into one of the porcelain cups her mother had given her for Christmas. She went over tomorrow’s lesson plan as she quietly sipped her tea. With Halloween approaching, she decided it would be best to talk about the holiday’s origins, its purpose, and the spooky history behind it. She was sure they would be at least somewhat interested in that. She hoped Emma would find it intriguing.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Emma no matter how hard she tried. It wasn’t just the girl’s affinity for history that she liked. It was something else. Something she couldn’t quite figure out— or rather, something she knew she _shouldn’t._


	4. Detention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I'm on vacation and am coming back home so I thought I'd go ahead and upload. Enjoy! :)

When Emma walked in the next morning, she seemed sullen. Regina took note of this immediately and tried to cheer her up a bit.

“Good morning, Emma.”

But much to Regina’s dismay, Emma didn’t say a word. She just went and sat in the back of the room as usual, only she kept her head down, staring blankly at the cover of her textbook. She had her arms folded and was slumped down in her seat.

“Has anyone completed their extra credit reports?” asked Regina, “If so, you may hand them in now, if you like.”

Emma was the only one to raise her hand, though she did so with great reluctance. Regina smiled at her once more.

“Come up and place it on my desk, please.”

Emma hesitated for a moment, but slowly made her way to the front of the desk. She was holding the report sideways with a trembling hand, and when Regina reached out to take it, their fingers touched momentarily. Brief as it was, it was still enough to bring heat to Emma’s cheeks and send her walking quickly back to her desk with her hands in her pockets and her head down, visibly tense. She didn’t say anything for the rest of class. When she wasn’t staring down at her desk, she was looking out the window with sorrow masking her face as it began to rain.

Regina looked over the paper Emma had given her, marveling over how well it was written. “Emma?” she asked.

The blonde slowly raised her head, looking uneasy. “Yeah?” she asked quietly.

“Would you like to tell the class about Bass Reeves?”

“Um, no thank you.”

Regina just nodded. “Alright, well, I’d like to go over it today, if you don’t mind.”

Emma gave a slight shrug. “Okay.”

Regina spent the hour summarizing Emma’s paper. “Bass Reeves,” she said, “was a slave-turned-Deputy Marshal, who tracked down thousands of wanted criminals and brought them all to justice— even his own _son._ He only killed fourteen men, all out of self-defense. Or so he claimed. Regardless, his legacy still lives on to this day. Some call him the _real_ ‘Lone Ranger.’”

Quinn raised his hand.

“Yes?” asked Regina.

“How’d he become a free man?”

“He attacked Colonel George Reeves and fled into Native American land, where he learned their customs and several of their languages.”

“You mean they had more than one?”

“Absolutely. Perhaps not _entirely_ different, but each tribe had their own tongue and dialect, much like people do even now. Think of right here in America. You have the New York accent, the Boston accent, the Minnesotan accent, the Southern, the Cajun and Creole, and so on. In Britain, there are many different types of accents as well. Posh— or _Queen’s English—_ Cockney, Scottish English, Welsh, Welsh _English,_ Geordie, and many more. Take Malcolm and Will, for example. Their accents are both British, but still very different because of where they come from. Of course, not everyone in America and Britain speak any sort of English. America is both linguistically _and_ culturally diverse.”

Again, Quinn raised his hand.

“Yes, Quinn?”

“Isn’t English the official language of America?”

“No, dear. It is just the most-commonly spoken language, which is why I feel that learning it would be convenient. However, there are some who have become successful without ever learning to speak English.” Regina gestured to the paper. “Now then, let’s get back to the topic at hand. Bass Reeves was named after his grandfather, Bass Washington, and took the surname of William Steele Reeves, who was the father of George Reeves.”

“Why’d he choose the name of his master?”

“I don’t believe he did, Quinn,” said Regina, “More than likely, it was chosen _for_ him.”

“Well, how come he kept it?” asked Quinn.

“Who knows? Perhaps he did so because he wanted to prove that even as a former-slave, he could rise to greatness, and rise, he did.”

“If I was alive back then, I’d buy them just to set them free,” Quinn declared.

Regina pursed her lips. “I can see where you’re coming from, Quinn, but you would still be participating in an act of evil by purchasing them in the first place. Human beings are not property.”

Quinn smiled. “Right on, Teach.”

Now it was Ruby who raised her hand.

“Yes, Ruby?”

“Were black people the only slaves?”

“No, dear, _African-Americans_ weren’t the only ones. The Chinese and Irish were also enslaved.”

Will spoke up without raising his hand. “Don’t we all come from Africa?”

“That’s right,” said Regina, “but could you raise your hand next time, please?”

“Sorry.” Will raised his hand slowly.

“Yes?”

“Doesn’t that make us all African, then?”

“I suppose it does, in a way,” said Regina, “That’s a very interesting thought, Will. I’m happy to see you participating.”

Will just smiled as he sat back, but didn’t say anything more. Mulan raised her hand instead.

“Yes, Mulan?”

“Weren’t Chinese immigrants forced to work on the railroad?”

“That’s right,” said Regina, “as well as the Irish. They were indentured servants, and some might say that is a step above slavery, but the conditions were just as harsh, and the pay was very little, especially in those days.”

Aurora slowly raised her hand. “Miss Mills?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Hasn’t everyone been enslaved?”

“If by ‘everyone,’ you mean people from every _ethnicity,_ then yes,” said Regina, “In fact, there is still slavery in the world today, particularly in Western Asia, North and East Africa, India, and some parts of Europe.”

“Are there still child slaves?” asked Aurora.

A look of sorrow fell over Regina’s face. “Unfortunately, yes,” she said, “There are roughly ten-million. Probably more.”

“I thought the Irish being slaves was just a myth?” asked Quinn.

Regina shook her head. “No, dear. They may not have been as prevalent as African-American slaves, but they still existed. Where did you hear that?”

_“Snopes.”_

Regina scoffed. “Snopes is not a reliable ‘fact-checking’ source. It has a tendency to be incredibly biased. Just because someone claims their information is accurate doesn’t make it true.” 

“You mean like _BuzzFeed?”_ asked Quinn.

“Oh, don’t even get me started,” said Regina.

Everyone laughed. Even Emma.

“So does that mean BuzzFeed is fake news?” asked Eric.

A soft chuckle escaped Regina. “Yes, I suppose it does,” she said, “As entertaining as their _Unsolved_ videos are, they are extremely biased when it comes to politics.”

“Which party are you in, Miss Mills?” asked Ruby.

“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to answer that, Ruby,” Regina told her, “Let’s get back to Bass Reeves. Does anyone have any questions?”

Sean raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“How’d he die? Was he shot?”

“No, his health began declining after he retired,” Regina explained, “He died of nephritis.”

“What’s that?” asked Sean.

“A type of kidney disease,” said Regina, “Today we call it _Bright’s disease.”_

“When did he die?”

“1910.”

“I think it would have been way cooler if he went out in a huge gunfight,” said Sean, “You know, like a Mexican standoff or something.”

“Yes, well, that seems like more of a Hollywood sort of thing,” said Regina, “Reality is often disappointing.”

 _“Holy shit,”_ whispered Quinn, _“Miss Mills is Thanos.”_

Regina just rolled her eyes. “No more swearing, Quinn, or I’m going to have to give you detention.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” said Regina, “Seriously.”

“Did you miss the part where he called you Thanos?” asked Will.

“No, Will, I heard him alright, and FYI, your Marvel references won’t get past me. They rarely do. I have a seven year-old who adores superheroes. They’re all he talks about.”

“Who’s his favorite?” asked Quinn.

A fond smile graced Regina’s lips. “Captain America.”

“Smart kid,” said Eric.

“Damn right,” said Quinn.

Regina sighed. “I tried to warn you, Quinn.”

“Ah, come on, Teach, it’s only a word.”

“Yes, a word I don’t allow in my classroom. Swear all you like in the hallways, but the moment you set foot in here, I expect you to follow my rules.” Regina pointed to the laminated poster she had above the whiteboard. There were seven rules.

**Class Rules:**

**1\. Always raise your hand before speaking.**

**2\. No swearing.**

**3\. No gum.**

**4\. No name-calling/bullying.**

**5\. Always be kind/courteous.**

**6. All trash goes in the trashcan. **

**7\. ALWAYS TRY YOUR BEST!**

Before long, class was over, and for once, Emma left quickly along with the other students when the bell rang, not sparing Regina so much as a glance. She headed out into the hallway with the others, feeling the brunette’s eyes on her but not daring to look back, for fear that she might see the hurt within them. She knew she would if she turned around. She just didn’t know _why._

For Regina, the day went by rather quickly. As much as she wanted to go home, she had to supervise detention. She didn’t expect to find Quinn there, as he almost never was, but to her surprise, there he was. He wasn’t alone. What truly shocked Regina was the fact that Emma was sitting in the back of the room. She sat her purse on the desk and walked over to the blonde, who was struggling to do long division.

“Emma?” she asked softly.

The girl looked up at her with wide green eyes. “M-Miss Mills?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I, um,” Emma hesitated, “I’ve been skipping class.”

Regina blinked quickly. “What?”

Emma averted her gaze. “And, um, I haven’t been doing my homework.”

“Emma, why?”

The blonde bit her lip, still unable to look her teacher in the eye. “I’ve only shown up for first period,” she said quietly.

“Just my class? Do you not like any of your other classes?”

“They’re fine, I guess,” said the timid blonde, “Well, except math. I hate doing math.”

Regina took a seat next to the girl and bore a look of concern. “Then why skip them?”

Emma just shrugged. “So I can get detention.”

Regina’s brows furrowed. “You mean you  _want_ detention? Why?”

The blonde became tenser. “So I can, um, avoid going home,” she said, barely above a whisper.

Regina’s blood ran cold. “Is there something you want to tell me about, Emma?” she asked softly.

Emma shook her head quickly. _“No,”_ she said defensively, “I just wanna do my homework.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you need any help?”

Emma tightened her grip on her pencil. “No, I think I’ve got it.”

“I wasn’t _just_ talking about the math, Emma,” Regina told her.

The blonde slowly raised her head and met her teacher’s gaze. Her green eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’m fine,” she lied, “I don’t need any help.”

“Well, just know that all of us are here for you. Not just me, but the rest of the staff as well, be it Miss Belfrey, Mr. Locksley, or even _Doctor Hopper.”_

“I’m fine,” Emma said, more firmly this time.

They both knew that wasn’t the truth.


	5. Bruises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: depiction of abuse.

Regina couldn’t stop thinking about Emma. She thought it had been bad before, but now she was so distracted that she found herself unable to focus on anything else, even the precious ramblings of her seven year-old regarding his day and his drawings, all of which centered around superheroes and dinosaurs.

_“Mommy?”_

Regina was pulled from her trance when she felt the boy tugging at her pant leg. “Yes, sweetie?” She smiled fondly at him and pulled him up onto her lap.

“Did you hear me, Mommy?”

“I’m sorry, darling. Mommy was thinking about work. What were you saying?”

“I wanna see _Shazam,”_ the boy told her.

Regina pursed her lips. “Henry, that’s PG-13.”

 _“Please?”_ Henry begged, “Everybody else is gonna see it!”

“Well, are you everybody else?” Regina asked him.

Henry was visibly confused. “No,” he said, “but I’m a big boy! And I wanna see it real bad!”

“I know, sweetie,” said Regina, “but we can’t tonight. We both have to go to school in the morning.”

She shared custody of Henry with his father. Today was Tuesday, and she would have him until Friday. This was the arrangement between her and her ex-husband. They’d been deeply in love once, but then he’d gone and hooked up with her sister and they fell out of love. They were as civil as they could be, for Henry’s sake, but every time she saw him, the hole in her heart grew wider.

“How about we go on Friday evening?” she asked, “Then I can drop you off at your Dad’s for the weekend. Is that alright with you, dear?”

Henry was quiet for a moment as he thought about this. Then, a wide grin spread across his cherubic face, and its brightness nearly blinded Regina. “Yeah!” he said excitedly, “I love you, Mommy!”

Regina chuckled. “I love you too, Henry.” She hugged him gently. “More than you can ever know.”

That night, she tucked him into his beloved racecar bed and kissed his forehead, turning on his Question Block night light and heading for the door.

 _“Wait!”_ cried Henry.

Regina stopped and looked back at him in concern. “What is it, darling?”

“You forgot to check the closet!”

Relief fell over the brunette’s face. “Ah, yes, of course. Thank you for reminding me.” She went over to the closet door, flipped on the light, and searched behind all of his clothes and toys. “There are no monsters, sweetheart. You’ll be safe tonight.”

“How ‘bout tomorrow?”

“If you’re a good boy, then you won’t have to worry about them,” Regina teased. Seeing the alarm in her son’s eyes, she quickly put his worries to rest. “I’m only joking, dear,” she assured, “There are no monsters in your room.”

“Promise?”

Regina smiled and nodded. “I promise.”

“Mommy?”

“Yes?”

“Can I have scrambled eggs in the morning?”

“Of course, dear.”

“And bacon?”

“Turkey bacon,” said Regina, “Goodnight, my little Prince.”

Henry smiled brightly at her. “Night, Mommy.”

Regina left the door open just a crack, which Henry always insisted on, and retired to her room for the night. She closed the door and slipped into her favorite silk pajamas. She climbed into the bed and donned her glasses as she sat up to read for a bit under the glow of her lamp. She’d been reading _A Princess of Mars,_ but hadn’t had much time as of late, so she always tried to read a few pages before bed each night. She was only halfway through it.

Soon, she grew tired and set her glasses, along with her book, on the nightstand. She switched the lamp off and lied down beneath the covers. Before she knew it, she was lost in dreamland.

_It felt so real. She was in her classroom, as usual, but there was only one desk in the room, and sitting there was none other than Emma Nolan._

_“Emma? What are you doing here? Where is everyone else?”_

_Emma shrugged. “I dunno.” She hugged herself tightly. “I guess they're not here ‘cause you don’t wanna dream about them.” She looked Regina dead in the face. “Why me, Miss Mills? Why am I the only one here?”_

_“I— I don’t know, dear.”_

_“I think you do.”_

_“What are you trying to say, Emma?”_

_The faintest hint of a smile graced the blonde’s lips. “I’m saying what you’re too afraid to say,” she replied, “I’m saying you have feelings for me that you know you shouldn’t act on, but wish so badly that you could.”_

_“Y-You’re wrong!” Regina said defensively, “You’re only seventeen, Emma! And you’re my student!”_

_“Not for long,” said the blonde, “I’ll be eighteen soon, and if I can keep my grades up, then I’ll graduate, and you’ll be in the clear.”_

_“Is that what you want, Emma? A relationship?”_

_The blonde shrugged once more. “How should I know? I’m not really her. I’m just in your head. You’ll never know until you ask her yourself,_ Regina.”

Suddenly, sunlight was flooding into the room, and Regina found herself being awoken by Henry. His grin was even brighter than the morning sun.

“Time to get up, Mommy!”

Regina smiled and hugged him as she looked at the clock. She frowned a bit. The alarm hadn’t gone off. Had she not set it?

“I could have sworn I set the alarm,” she said quietly.

“I turned it off,” Henry told her.

Regina’s eyebrows shot up. “What? Why?”

“‘Cause I wanted to wake you up!” the boy declared.

“And why is that?”

“So you could make breakfast!”

“Oh, right,” said Regina, “I forgot.” She gently lowered him down off of the bed. “Here, darling, why don’t you go on into the kitchen and wait while Mommy gets ready, alright?”

“Okay, Mommy.”

And with that, the young boy scurried off into the kitchen. Regina slowly crawled out of bed and closed the door, slipping out of her pajamas and into a sleek black pantsuit with a white blouse. Her hair looked decent this morning and she only needed a touch of makeup. She would shower later that night. She was already running a bit late, and while she didn’t particularly wish to cook, she’d promised Henry she would, and she never broke her promises. Not to him.

She cooked Henry his breakfast, which he ate rather quickly, and as he was eating, she prepared him a ham and cheese sandwich with two graham crackers and a juice box (apple, of course). Then, as she always did when he was staying with her, she drove him to school. He was currently in Ms. Fisher’s second-grade class. There were few children around this early, but as always, Regina waited until Henry was safely inside the building before driving away to the high school just a few blocks away.

Upon her arrival, Regina gathered up her things, locked her car, and made her way inside to her classroom. It was only as she sat down that her mind reverted to the bizarre dream she’d had. She looked up, fully expecting to see Emma sitting there, but instead, everyone except for Emma was present. She waited there for a few minutes, watching and wondering if the blonde would show up. If what she suspected was true, then that made Emma’s absence all the more alarming.

The bell rang, and Regina sat there for a few minutes, looking over her schedule for that day, but she knew she had no choice but to start class. She stood up after a bit.

“Okay everyone, I’d like you all to turn to chapter three. You’ll be filling out a study guide today and all the answers can be found in your textbooks. Your test will be on Friday, and don’t forget, your extra credit reports will be due as well. Now this study guide shouldn’t be too difficult. If you truly can’t find an answer, just raise your hand and I’ll come to you.”

Regina handed out the study guides before returning to her desk to read more of her book, which she’d tucked away in her purse. The students had been working for nearly twenty minutes when suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Regina went to open it, and there stood Emma. In the blonde’s hand was a note. She offered it to Regina.

“Here,” Emma said quietly, “I’m sorry for being late.”

Regina was about to respond, but paused when she looked at the note. _Please excuse Emma. — Dr. Hopper._ She looked back up at the blonde in a peculiar blend of concern and relief.

“It’s alright, Emma,” she murmured, “I’m glad you decided to give Doctor Hopper a chance. Please, come in. We’re going over the study guide for the chapter three test. Here, let me get you your study guide.”

Regina went to her desk, and Emma reluctantly followed after her with a slight limp. She handed Emma the blank paper along with the Bass Reeves report. She offered the girl a warm smile in an effort to make her feel better.

“You did a wonderful job on your report, Emma.”

“Um, thank you,” Emma said awkwardly as she limped towards the back of the room. Seeing this came as a great concern for her teacher.

The blonde opened up her book once she sat down and retrieved a pencil from her bag. Tears welled in her eyes as she did. She happened to glance at the note on the report, written once again in red ink.

_**Excellent job, Emma! I’m proud of you! :)** _

She bit her lip so as to not let out a sob. Pain was ripping through her, even now. His fury continued to ring out in her troubled mind. She tried not to focus on his words, for they were not nearly as painful as the physical damage. Try as she might, Emma was unable to contain herself as she brought her pencil to the page. She sobbed quietly, but apparently not quietly enough, because just moments later, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and slowly raised her head to find Regina looking at her in blatant concern.

“Emma?” the brunette asked softly, “Why don’t you step into the hall with me for a bit?”

Emma said nothing. She just limped after her teacher and out into the hallway. Regina closed the door once they were both outside the classroom. Emma hugged herself tightly, unable to meet the brunette’s concerned gaze.

Regina’s voice was quiet. “Emma? Will you please look at me?”

Emma did so with great reluctance. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, but then continued to hug herself. Regina studied her carefully, as if searching for something, and Emma knew right away what that ‘something’ was.

“What’s the matter?” asked the brunette.

“It’s noth—”

Regina folded her arms. “Don’t tell me it’s ‘nothing,’ Emma. Clearly, _something_ is upsetting you. Do you need to go back to Doctor Hopper?”

“No,” Emma said quickly, “I just came from there, and I— I don’t wanna miss history.”

“Emma, school is important, but your well-being is a necessity. Would you like to tell me something? Emma, if anything is going on at home, you can always talk to any of the faculty members. You know that, right?”

Emma nodded slowly. “Yeah,” she whispered, “but I’m— I’m _scared,_ Miss Mills.”

“Of what, dear?”

Emma bit her lip and turned away.

“Emma, please,” Regina said softly, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Rather than replying, Emma reluctantly reached for the hem of her black shirt and lifted it up slowly. Her pale stomach had been turned black and blue. It was violently marred with hideous bruises, clearly fresh.

Regina’s eyes grew wide and her blood ran cold upon seeing this. A gasp escaped her painted lips. She stared at Emma in horror, but the blonde could not return her gaze.

“Who did this to you?” she asked, struggling to contain her rage.

Emma shook her head quickly. “I can’t,” she sobbed.

“Emma, you have to tell me. As a teacher, I’m obligated to report this. Will you tell me who did it, Emma?”

Emma hesitated. “Not here,” she rasped.

“Then let’s go and see Miss Belfrey,” said Regina.


	6. Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update.

The police became involved, and upon searching the trailer where she lived with her uncle, they found numerous firearms, none of which he had a license for. On top of those charges, he was facing up to a year in prison for child abuse.

His trial didn’t last long, though his legal fees were through the roof, and his seedy lawyer had been provided to him by the court. The jury found him guilty in less than an hour. He would be in prison for the next three years. It was a shame, really, that he got two additional years because of his illegal possession of firearms, rather than the repeated abuse of his niece. For that, he received only one year. Three years was nothing more than a slap on the wrist. At least, that was how Emma looked at it. She had endured seven years of torment at his hands. If you asked her, he deserved to rot in prison for life.

With nowhere else to go, Emma wound up moving in with her Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Jim. Needless to say, Jim was easily the better uncle. It was strange, though, as his full name was the same as her abusive uncle’s, but calling him ‘Jim’ was more convenient and less confusing for everyone. Emma tried not to dwell on this too much.

One Saturday morning, three days after the trial, Emma was in the kitchen pouring herself a bowl of Froot Loops when she heard a knock at the door. She feared it might be more reporters looking for interviews, but she looked out the window and saw only one car: a black Mercedes Benz. She slowly made her way over to the door and opened it reluctantly, only to find herself face to face with her teacher. She blinked quickly when she realized who she was looking at.

 _“M-Miss Mills?”_ she asked, puzzled, “What are you doing here?”

“I just came to check on you, dear,” said the brunette, “and I wanted to give you this.” She handed Emma a card. “It’s from the whole class. I know it isn’t much, but we thought it would be nice.”

Emma stared down at the card for a moment. It was a white card with vibrant flowers at the bottom. Everyone in the class had signed their names. Even Malcolm, though his handwriting looked an awful lot like Miss Mills’. Regardless, Emma’s eyes welled with tears, and as she looked back up at her teacher, she found the brunette offering a soft smile.

“You didn’t have to do this,” she said.

“I disagree,” said Regina, “You’ve been absent for almost a week, Emma. I needed to know my best student was okay. How are you feeling?”

Emma shrugged. “Good, I guess,” she said, “Way better than before.”

“Well that’s good,” said Regina, “Do you mind if I come in? I’d like to give you the opportunity to make up your work. There hasn’t been much, I promise. Just some worksheets. I’ll let you make up your test when you come back, which I hope will be soon.”

“I’ll probably be back Monday,” Emma told her, stepping aside.

“Wonderful,” the brunette said as she entered the house.

Suddenly, Kathryn came down the hall. “Emma, who’s at the— oh, hey Regina. I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

“I just came to give Emma some homework to make up.” Regina set a small stack of papers down on the small table near the door.

“Oh, okay. Thank you,” said Kathryn, “You didn’t have to go out of your way to do that, though.”

“It’s no problem,” said Regina, “I was heading to the park with Henry, so I thought I’d stop by and drop it off.”

“Thanks, Miss Mills,” Emma said quietly.

“You’re welcome, dear. I’ll see you on Monday.”

And with that, Regina headed back to her car, where Henry was sitting in the passenger seat, watching her curiously. She climbed back in the car and set her purse down in the floor behind Henry’s seat.

“Who was that, Mommy?”

“That was Emma Nolan and her Aunt Kathryn,” Regina explained.

“You mean the girl from the TV?”

“Yes, dear.”

The trial had been televised extensively, and seeing how Storybrooke was such a small town, it was a big deal. It was the talk of the entire town. Regina knew she wouldn’t have liked to be the center of the limelight, so she couldn’t even begin to imagine how terrifying it must have been for Emma.

“Are we still gonna go to the park?”

“Of course, darling. We’ve come all this way.”

Regina drove to the park and watched Henry play on the jungle gym while she sat on a bench nearby. After about half an hour or so, she heard the ice cream truck jingle somewhere in the distance, and judging by the way Henry perked up, she knew he had heard it too.

 _“Oh boy,”_ she muttered.

“Mommy! I want ice cream!”

“It’s still early, sweetie, and you haven’t had lunch yet.”

“Please?” Henry begged, “Daddy lets me get ice cream!”

Regina sighed. “Oh, he does, does he?”

“Yep!”

“Well, Daddy isn’t here,” said Regina. She pondered it for a moment as she saw the ice cream truck pull into the park entrance. “How about you get a popsicle this time? Would that be alright?”

Henry was quiet for a bit. “What kind do they have?”

“I don’t know, dear. Come down so we can look.”

“Okay!”

Henry came down the spiral slide and scurried over to Regina, reaching for her hand excitedly. She led him towards the ice cream truck and he looked up at the menu with wide, curious eyes.

“What would you like, sweetheart?”

“I want sour apple!”

The ice cream man smiled. “That’ll be two dollars, ma’am.”

Regina retrieved some money from her purse and handed it to the man, who gave her a sour apple popsicle. She handed it to Henry and he snatched it up eagerly.

“Thanks, Mommy!”

“You’re welcome, dear, but you should also thank the nice man.”

Henry grinned up at the man. “Thanks, Mr. Ice Cream Man!”

The man chuckled. “You’re welcome. Enjoy your popsicle.”

“I will!” Henry declared.

He tore the wrapper from the popsicle and hurried over to the trashcan to throw it away. Regina smiled proudly at him. Her boy knew better than to litter, especially while she was watching. Henry went to sit on the bench to enjoy his popsicle, and Regina sat next to him with an even wider smile.

“How’s your popsicle, darling?”

“Awesome!” he told her.

She chuckled. “Good. I’m glad you like it.”

“Do you wanna try it?”

Regina shook her head. “That’s okay. Thank you, though.”

“You’re welcome, Mommy.”

Meanwhile, back at Kathryn’s house, she was sitting with Emma at the table, sipping some coffee while her niece did some of the homework.

“You don’t have to do this right now, Emma,” she said, “You still have the rest of the day and tomorrow.”

“I know,” said Emma, “but I just wanna get it done so I have time for other stuff.”

“What ‘other stuff?’” asked Kathryn.

Emma shrugged. “Probably just walk around town. I don’t know.”

“Okay, well, be careful,” said Kathryn, “and be sure to keep your phone on you at all times.”

“Okay.”

Only recently had Emma gotten a cellphone, a gift from Kathryn and Jim. _He_ had never allowed her to have one, or anything else, really. _He_ never let her go anywhere except school. That was why she wanted to remain there for as long as possible, even if it meant getting detention every afternoon. She would often sneak in through her bedroom window so as to avoid him, but unfortunately, that hadn’t always worked out. _He_ would catch her from time to time, and there would be hell to pay.

Emma’s breath hitched in her throat when she felt Kathryn’s hand on hers. “Emma? Are you okay?”

“I— I’m sorry,” Emma said quickly. Too quickly. “I was just thinking about _Him.”_

“Don’t apologize,” said Kathryn, “He’s the one who owes you an apology, not the other way around. He can’t hurt you anymore, Emma. He’s in prison.”

“Only for three years,” the young blonde replied bitterly.

“Yes, but three years is a lot longer than you think,” Kathryn told her, “Especially when it’s spent behind bars.”

Emma folded her arms. “He still deserves more.”

Kathryn nodded. “You’re right. He does.”

“Does it bother you, Aunt Kathryn?” Emma asked her, “That your brother is in jail?”

A look of disdain fell over Kathryn’s face. “As far as I’m concerned,” she said, “that man is _not_ my brother.” She gave Emma’s hand a tight squeeze. “If I had known what was going on, Emma, I’d have gotten you out of there in a heartbeat. I am so sorry for what he did to you. No one deserves to suffer that way. Only those who inflict pain and suffering onto others. He’s getting what’s coming to him, Emma. I promise.”

“Don’t apologize,” said Emma, “Isn’t that what you told me?”

“Yes.” Kathryn offered Emma a warm smile. “Yes, it is.” She squeezed Emma’s hand just a little tighter. “I love you, Emma.”

Emma smiled faintly at her. “Love you, too, Aunt Kathryn.”


	7. Drive

As time passed, Emma’s life improved significantly. She became more outspoken in class, though very gradually, and she began spending time with the other students outside of school. On this particular day, the weather was nice, and so she decided to head to the park with Ruby and Quinn. Quinn lit up a cigarette and offered it to Emma, but she was quick to decline. She’d always hated cigarettes, even more so once she was sent to live with _Him._

She tried not to think about the way things used to be. She did her best to look ahead. She’d been doing better in school now that she actually went to all of her classes— even math, although it was easily her least-favorite.

“Hey, isn’t that Miss Mills?” asked Quinn.

Emma blinked. “Huh?”

“Over there by the swings. Looks like she’s with her kid.”

Emma looked across the park at the swing set, where a brunette in a pantsuit was pushing a young boy in a swing. “It _does_ look like her,” she said.

“God, she’s hot,” said Quinn, “I’d give anything to fuck her.”

Ruby scoffed and slapped him in the back of the head, causing his cigarette to fly out of his mouth. He rubbed his head and frowned at her.

“What the hell, Rubes?”

Ruby folded her arms. “I cannot _believe_ you just said that! Right in front of me!”

“Come on, babe, I was just kidding!”

Again, the brunette scoffed. “Whatever, Quinn. I’m out of here. I’m heading to the mall. You coming, Em?”

“No,” said Emma, “I think I’ll just walk home.”

Ruby shrugged. “Okay. Suit yourself.”

Quinn stomped out his cigarette and chased after Ruby towards her red Camaro. “Ruby, please, I swear it was a joke!”

“I seriously doubt that,” said Ruby, “and even if it was, you don’t. tell jokes like that in front of your girlfriend!”

“Look, babe, I’m sorry, okay?” asked Quinn, “Please, give me another chance.”

Ruby sighed. “One more chance,” she told him, “Oh, and you have to buy me a new pair of shoes.”

“Sure,” said Quinn, “Anything for you, Rubes.”

“Awesome. Let’s go.”

Ruby and Quinn climbed into the red car and sped off towards the mall, leaving Emma at the pavilion by herself. The blonde picked up the cigarette butt and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. She looked back over at the swings and found that the brunette was looking her way. No. Not just her way, but directly _at her._

Truth be told, Quinn’s comment had also irked her, but for an entirely different reason. She’d felt a pang of jealousy and exasperation at the idea of that grungy slacker having his way with Miss Mills. Her mind had been elsewhere, but now that she was free of her tormentor, she’d begun allowing herself to acknowledge certain feelings she was having. Namely, her undeniable attraction to her history teacher. It wasn’t just Miss Mills’ looks that drew her in, but that warm personality and affinity for history, and of course, the constant encouragement to participate and put in effort.

That, Emma realized, was what made Miss Mills the perfect woman, at least in her eyes. Unfortunately, it could never be. She was just a student, and Miss Mills was her teacher. There was no way they could have anything more than a platonic relationship. That saddened her, but she knew she was just going to have to live with it. She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard her name fall from the brunette’s lips.

_“Emma?”_

Emma blinked a bit, realizing that the teacher had approached her from the opposite end of the park. “Hi, Miss Mills.”

“Hello, dear. It looks like Ruby and Quinn left you behind,” said Regina, “Do you need a ride home?”

“Um, that’s okay.”

“Are you sure? I’d be happy to drive you.”

Emma hesitated. “Okay,” she said quietly, “Thanks, Miss Mills.”

“Anytime, Emma.”

The brunette was holding hands with the young boy in the red shorts and the blue Captain America shirt. The boy’s eyes were wide and fixated on her own red shirt with a lightning bolt on it.

“Mommy, look! She has a Shazam shirt!”

Regina smiled fondly at him. “Yes, dear, she does.”

“I want one!”

“We’ll look when we go shopping, okay?”

“Yeah!”

Emma couldn’t help but smile at the interaction. She recalled a time when her own mother doted on her in such a way. If only she could have had that again. Sadly, God, Fate, or whatever it was pulling the strings, had decided that things like that were not meant to be. Emma was drawn back out of her morbid reverie by the sound of her teacher’s voice.

“Is everything alright, Emma?”

Emma swallowed. “Um, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

The blonde slipped her hands into her pockets. “Yep.”

She followed after her teacher to the black Mercedes parked along the asphalt. Henry climbed into the back, and Emma sat in the passenger seat and sat there awkwardly. This seemed wrong, yet at the same time, it felt right. It felt like she belonged in this seat, right next to Miss Mills.

The brunette sat down behind the wheel and put her purse down in the back. “I’ve got to take Henry to his father’s house,” she said, “I hope you don’t mind me dropping him off on the way. It won’t take long.”

“That’s fine,” said Emma.

Regina just smiled as she took off towards her ex-husband’s house in the suburbs. She pulled up along the curb in front of the pristine house and got out to unload Henry’s _Spiderman_ suitcase from the trunk. In it were his pajamas, his toothbrush and toothpaste, and some comics and toys. Henry climbed out of the car and onto the sidewalk, taking his suitcase and hugging his mother tightly.

“I love you, Mommy,” he told her.

“I love you, too, my little Prince,” said Regina, “You be good for Daddy, okay?”

“I promise I will,” said Henry.

Regina smiled. “Good. Now have fun, dear. I’ll see you again on Tuesday.”

“Okay, Mommy. Bye!”

“Bye, sweetheart.”

Regina watched him until he was safely inside the house before she got back in the car and smiled softly at Emma. “I’m sorry if this is making you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine,” said the blonde.

“Alright, well, I’ll take you back to Kathryn’s now.”

Emma was quiet for a moment as the brunette pulled away from the curb. “Miss Mills?”

“Yes?”

“How do you know my aunt?”

“We were friends in high school,” said Regina.

Emma swallowed. “Did, um— did you know my parents?”

“I knew _of_ them. They were both a grade below me. David and Mary-Margaret, right?”

“Yeah,” Emma said quietly. “I don’t want to talk about this if it’s upsetting for you, Emma.”

“Okay,” said the blonde.

They were both quiet for a bit. Regina was the one to break the awkward silence. “You know, I’m proud of you, Emma. You’ve been doing so well, not just in school, but in life.”

“You really think so?”

Regina smiled and nodded. “Of course. You seem so much more outgoing and energetic,” she said, “I’m glad to see you finally coming out of your shell. I used to be a bit introverted, you know?”

“You did?”

Again, Regina nodded. “That’s right,” she said, “but once I got to college, I was able to open up more, and now, here I am.”

“I don’t think I want to go to college,” Emma confessed, “I probably wouldn’t graduate anyway.”

“I’m afraid I must disagree, Emma,” said Regina, “I think you would, but whether or not you go is entirely up to you. You’re doing so well in school now. What makes you think you won’t succeed in college?”

Emma tensed. “Well, um, _he_ always told me that I would fail no matter what.”

“You mean your uncle?” asked Regina.

Emma gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

“He was wrong, you know. Everyone is capable of success, so long as they set their minds to it.” Regina unknowingly reached out and placed her hand atop the blonde’s. “I believe in you, Emma.”

“You— You really mean that?” Emma asked, flustered.

It was then that Regina realized what she’d done, and she was quick to pull her hand away. “Yes,” she said, “I wouldn’t lie to you, Emma.” They were nearly to Emma’s house.

“Um, Miss Mills?” the blonde asked timidly.

“Yes, dear?”

Emma hesitated. “Thanks for driving me.”

“You’re welcome,” said Regina, “I would be more than happy to do it again, if you ever need me to.”

“Cool,” said Emma, “Well, I’ll, um, see you later, then.”

“You too, Emma.”


	8. Endgame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Double update.*

The next night, Regina decided she would go to the cinema and watch _Avengers: Endgame_ before she took Henry the following week. As much as she adored her son, she knew he would get a bit noisy due to his excitement, so she thought it best to see it on her own first so that she could enjoy it properly.

She skipped the popcorn, opting for a cup of water before walking into the theater. She sat in the very back row so as to avoid blocking anyone’s view of the screen. As the previews rolled, she pulled her phone out of her purse and put it on silent mode, turning down the brightness so as to not hurt her eyes. She put her phone away and sat her purse in the seat to her right, and as she did, she noticed that someone else had sat down in the same row as her, which was otherwise-empty. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

 _“Emma,”_ she murmured.

It seemed that she was not nearly as quiet as she’d initially believed, for the blonde turned and looked at her in surprise.

_“Miss Mills?”_

Regina glanced around and found that no one was watching, and so she slowly got up and went over to the stunned blonde. “Is it alright if I sit?” she asked softly.

“Um, sure,” said Emma, “Go ahead.”

Regina sat down next to the girl wordlessly. To her delight, it was Emma who broke that silence.

“So, uh, you really like Marvel?”

“Of course,” said Regina.

“And what about your son?”

“He adores it. I just came by myself to enjoy the movie on my own,” Regina explained, “I’m coming back next week with Henry.”

“Good idea,” said Emma.

They sat there in surprisingly-comfortable silence as the previews came to an end and the movie finally began. As it did, Emma reached for her drink in the cupholder and her hand accidentally brushed against Regina’s. She quickly sipped her drink and went to put it back in the cupholder, but then something came over her, and she opted to set it down in the other one. She discreetly reached out and purposefully rested her hand atop the brunette’s.

Regina looked at her in surprise, but did not pull away. On the contrary, the teacher took hold of her student’s hand without so much as a word. They both smiled faintly, not saying a thing as they enjoyed the movie. Neither of them dared to let go of the other’s hand.

Three hours later, they finally let go— albeit reluctantly— and exited the theater together. Both of them were smiling as they walked outside. Regina went to her car, and of course, Emma followed. The brunette retained a faint smile, though it fell a bit as she turned to face her student.

“Emma, I need you to promise me something,” she said, “Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this. It might not seem like that big of a deal to you, but I could get in serious trouble for this.”

“Why? We just held hands.”

“Yes,” said Regina, “but that was inappropriate, considering I’m your teacher, and you’re my student. It was wrong of me to do that.”

“Maybe so,” said Emma, “but didn’t it feel right?”

“I— I don’t know, Emma. All I know is that this can’t happen again.”

Emma’s smile fell. “Okay,” she said dejectedly.

“But I will still be happy to give you a ride home.”

“That’s okay,” said Emma, “I’ve got my own ride.”

Regina blinked in surprise. “What? Since when?”

“Since yesterday. Aunt Kathryn gave me her old Volkswagen after she saw you drop me off.”

“You mean she knows?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Did she think it was strange?”

“No. She said she thought it was nice of you, but didn’t want you to have to go through the trouble, so she gave me her car.”

“I didn’t realize you had your license.”

“Yeah, well, ever since _he_ went to prison, I’ve been practicing my driving with Uncle Jim,” said Emma, “I’ve already gotten my permit. I’m gonna take the driver’s test next week.”

“Oh, well I hope you pass,” said Regina, “Good luck, Emma.”

“Thanks,” said the blonde, “I’ll, um, see you on Monday, then?”

Regina smiled and nodded. “See you Monday.”

They went their separate ways, but neither of them could stop thinking about each other, or how right it felt to hold hands. Now they each wanted something more out of their unusual relationship. Regina didn’t want to be _just_ Emma’s teacher, and Emma didn’t want to be _just_ Regina’s student.

The weekend seemed to last an eternity, so when Monday finally rolled around, both Emma and Regina were eager to see one another again, even if they could only do so in a platonic setting. Emma showed up earlier than normal, setting an apple on the brunette’s desk without so much as a word.

Regina smiled at the kind gesture. “Thank you, Emma,” she said softly. She took a bite of the apple and her smile grew wider. It was sweet, but not nearly as sweet as her favorite student.

Before long, the others began shuffling into the room. Ruby sat down with a proud smile, showing off her expensive new heels that she’d blackmailed Quinn into buying her with the money he’d have otherwise wasted on cigarettes.

“Okay, everyone, I want you to turn to chapter seven,” said Regina, “We’ll be going over Ancient Greece, and since you all seemed to like the historical figure reports, I thought it would be fun to have you write papers about the Greek Gods. You may choose whichever God or Goddess you like and write a two to three page report about them. If you want ten bonus points, you may choose _two_ deities.”

Emma raised her hand.

Regina smiled. “Yes, Emma?”

“Can we write about a myth involving two of the Gods?” asked the blonde.

“Of course, dear,” said Regina, “Who did you have in mind?”

“Persephone and Hades.”

“Ah, my favorite Greek myth,” said Regina, “I look forward to reading your report.” She turned to the other students. “I want you all to go up to the board and write your names, along with the name of whichever deity you choose.”

Peter raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“Is there a list of them? I can’t remember any of their names.”

“I believe there is a list of some on page 209.”

“Thanks, Miss Mills.”

“You’re welcome, Peter.”

One by one, everyone went up to write their names alongside those of the Greek deities. The list went as followed:

**Ruby— Aphrodite**

**Quinn— Ares**

**Killian— Poseidon/Hades**

**Dorothy— Hecate**

**Aurora— Apollo**

**Mulan— Athena**

**Malcolm— Hermes**

**Ashley— Eros**

**Sean— Hephaestus**

**Will— Dionysus**

**Eric— Poseidon**

**Merida— Artemis**

**Elsa— Hera**

**Anna— Hestia**

**Peter— Zeus**

**Emma— Persephone/Hades**

Once everyone had written something down, Regina took note of it on a piece of paper and stored it away in a folder she’d brought with her. From this folder, she retrieved a small stack of worksheets and began handing them out.

“These are fill in the blank,” she said, “I want you all to write down which deity does what, and what is significant about their roles. Just look in your books to find the answers. This shouldn’t be too hard, but if you’re struggling, just raise your hand. When you’re done, just bring them up to my desk.”

Emma was the first to finish. She brought her paper up to Regina’s desk and set it down in front of the brunette, who smiled warmly at her.

“Thank you, dear.”

Eventually, everyone else had finished as well, and it wasn’t much longer before the bell began to ring. The students all walked up to the teacher’s desk and handed in their papers as they made their way out of the classroom and into the crowded hall. As always, Emma remained behind, only this time, things were different.

“I hope you like the apple,” said Emma.

“It’s a nice gesture, dear. Thank you,” said Regina.

“Want me to bring you another one tomorrow?”

“You don’t have to,” said the brunette, “but if you really want to, then I won’t stop you.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow, Miss Mills.”

And with that, Emma disappeared into the bustling hallway. Regina watched her with a smile before taking another bite of the apple. It still wasn’t _nearly_ as sweet as Emma Nolan.


	9. Regina

The story of Persephone and Hades was a complicated one indeed. It was _unconventional,_ to say the least. From an outsider’s perspective, it was something taboo. Something abnormal. Something wrong. But to the two deities, they were truly in love, even if Hades had appeared to lure Persephone in, almost like a predator.

Persephone certainly didn’t see him that way. She did not feel victimized by him. She understood him when no one else did, and of course, she understood why she felt the way she did about him.

And so, one day, she tossed him an apple while they were spending time together. It was not like the other apples within the Underworld. It did not turn to ash as hit met his tongue. Instead, it was perfectly-ripe and incredibly sweet, enchanted by her divine power. Her mother was the Goddess of Nature, after all.

Now, as Regina was reading through Emma’s mythology report, it was impossible for her to miss the undertones— the not-so-subtle parallels between her relationship with the blonde woven between the lines. It was unlikely that anyone else would have caught on, but Regina most certainly did. As uncomfortable as it made her in a school setting, she probably would have found it almost romantic, had she been anywhere else. Regardless, she gave the paper an _A._

As she did, she stopped to wonder: was she doing this because Emma’s paper was genuinely well-written, or because of her attraction to the beautiful blonde? She tapped the end of her pen against the desk out of nervousness, suddenly unsure if she was abusing her power or not. There was no changing it now, she supposed. She’d already written the score.

She picked up the next report and tried to distract herself that way. She found it hard to concentrate, but soldiered on through it. She had a job to do. She couldn’t allow herself to be so caught up with her impure thoughts.

Class seemed to go by rather quickly. Regina had been up most of the night, unable to sleep due to the thoughts of Emma plaguing her mind, so she was exhausted and hadn’t come up with a lesson plan for that day. She allowed the students to draw, write, or read if they wished. There could just be no talking, and she told them that if they needed to use the restroom, they could just go, as long as they were back within five minutes.

When it was over, Regina looked up and found Emma approaching her desk while the others shuffled swiftly out of the room.

“Hey, Miss Mills.”

Regina forced a smile. “Hello, Emma,” she said softly, “You wrote a very nice paper. Although I must say, the parallels did not get past me.”

“What do you mean?” Emma asked coyly.

Regina gave her a pointed look. “Emma, you know what I mean. As much as I enjoy your reports, you can’t be so careless about this. We could both get in trouble, don’t you understand?”

Emma sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said, “It won’t happen again.”

Regina handed her the paper with a faint smile. “Thank you, dear. Have a nice day.”

“Thanks,” said Emma, “You too.” She turned to leave, but Regina stopped her.

“Oh, and Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Emma quickly disappeared into the hallway.

The blonde didn’t show up to school the next day, which Regina found concerning, but she knew how strange it would be if she asked too many questions. Still, she asked her class, as she didn’t think that would be quite as suspicious.

“Has anyone seen Emma?”

“Yeah, I saw her yesterday at the park,” said Quinn, “She was pretty upset. Wouldn’t say why.”

“Oh,” said Regina, “Well, I hope everything is okay.”

She quickly passed out the rest of the papers and went back to her desk, pulling up YouTube on her computer and projecting it onto the screen beside her.

“Are we gonna watch videos?” asked Quinn.

“That’s right,” said Regina.

“Can we watch _PewDiePie?”_

Regina chuckled. “Sorry, Quinn. We’ll just be watching videos about the Greek deities you all wrote about, as well as a few others.”

“Do we have to take notes?”

“I considered adding that to the lesson, but I decided not to,” said Regina, “Still, I expect you all to pay attention. We’re going to start with the story of Persephone and Hades, and how their relationship pertains to the seasons.”

Once again, class seemed to fly by. Before anyone knew it, the bell was ringing. Regina was left alone in the dark room as her students all hurried out into the hallway. She stared longingly at the seat where Emma should have been, and seeing that it was vacant left her feeling especially-empty inside.

Hours passed just as quickly, and when the day was over, Regina gathered her things and headed out to her car. She needed to try and clear her thoughts, so she decided to just drive around Storybrooke with no real destination in mind. She stared blankly ahead the entire time, just running on auto-pilot while she attempted to put her mind at ease. Eventually (she wasn’t sure how long, exactly), she found herself drifting through the trailer park where Emma once lived. Lo and behold, that was precisely where she found her star pupil.

Emma was walking out of the trailer she’d used to live in, clutching a leather-bound book to her chest and looking around in what appeared to be fear. She froze when she saw a familiar black Benz pull up along the curb near the dirty old trailer. The window rolled down, and suddenly, she was staring into the concerned eyes of her teacher.

“Miss Mills? W-What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you the same thing, Emma,” said the brunette, “Why would you want to come back here? And why weren’t you at school today?”

“I had to get something,” Emma said defensively, “and I just didn’t feel like going.”

“Why not?” Regina asked, more softly this time.

Emma tensed. “I don’t know, okay? I just needed some alone time. Is that too much to ask?”

“Of course not,” said Regina, “but I was worried about you, darling.”

Heat rose to the blonde’s cheeks. Her legs seemed to have minds of their own, as they were bringing her closer and closer to the Benz against her will. She approached the driver’s side and tried to avert her gaze from Regina’s, but her eyes wouldn’t let her.

“What’s that you’ve got, Emma? A diary?”

“No, actually,” Emma said hesitantly. Tears welled in her eyes. “It’s an old photo album of me and my parents. It’s all I have left of them. _He_ took it from me when I first moved in, and now I’ve finally got it back.”

Regina regarded her with a look of genuine sympathy. “I know what it’s like, Emma, losing a loved one. Of course, my mother is still alive, but my father died when I was just sixteen."

“I’m sorry,” Emma said quietly.

Regina just nodded and offered a somber smile. “Would you like a ride?”

“Um, okay,” said Emma, “but tell me one thing— why’d you come here? Did you know I was here?”

“I was just driving around, trying to clear my mind,” Regina told her, “and no, I didn’t know you were here.”

Emma just stared at her for a moment, not saying a word, but then nodded and slowly climbed into the car. Regina drove through the trailer park and out towards the wooded area up in the hills.

“Um, Miss Mills? Where are we going?”

“I wanted to talk to you, Emma,” said the brunette.

“A-About what?”

Regina was quiet for a bit. “About _us.”_

“Oh,” Emma murmured, “Okay.”

Regina didn’t take her eyes off the road, even for a second, as she reached over to take hold of Emma’s soft hand. After a short while, she parked the car at the top of the hill, where an old picnic table stood, covered in faded graffiti. No one else was around.

“Why don’t we go and sit at the table?” Regina asked gently, “The view is nice.”

Emma just nodded. “Okay.”

She wordlessly climbed out of the car and went to sit beside her teacher a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, she didn’t need to. Regina was the one who spoke first. The brunette looked to her with uncertainty.

“Emma?” Regina whispered.

“Yeah?”

Regina took hold of Emma’s hand once more. “What are we?”

Emma’s brows furrowed in confusion. “You mean are we a thing?”

Regina nodded slowly. “Is that what we are? An item?”

“I— I don’t know,” said Emma, “I’ve never been with anyone before.”

This took Regina by surprise. “Not ever?”

Emma shook her head. “Nope.”

“Then why _me?_ I’m your teacher, Emma. You’re not supposed to feel this way about me.”

“And neither are you,” said Emma, “but really, who’s to say we can’t be together?”

“The law,” Regina said firmly, “You’re still only seventeen.”

“I won’t be next month.”

“Still, you’re my student, and we can’t engage in this type of behavior.”

“What type? Holding hands? Talking?”

“I mean _sexual_ behavior.”

“There’s nothing sexual about holding hands.”

“No, but others might think we’re doing _a bit more_ than just hand-holding.”

Emma was silent for a moment. “What if I told you I didn’t want sex? At least, not until after I graduate. Then it would be okay, right?”

“Legally, yes,” said Regina, “but perhaps not _morally._ People would still think we were an item prior to any relationship we have once you’ve graduated.”

“You can’t keep worrying about that,” Emma told her, offering a reassuring smile, “Once I’m out of school, I’m out of school. I’ll be eighteen, and you won’t be my teacher anymore.” The blonde’s grip on Regina’s hand grew tighter. “We’ll be free to do whatever we want.”

Regina let out a soft sigh. “You’re right,” she said. Her eyes widened when she both saw and felt Emma’s head come to rest on her shoulder. “Emma?” she murmured.

“Will you at least hold me?” Emma asked quietly, “I’ve had a rough day.”

“Of course, dear,” murmured Regina. She hooked an arm around Emma ever so gently.

After a moment, Emma asked, “Don’t you have to pick up your son?”

“Not until five,” Regina told her, “We’ve got plenty of time.”

“And what do you want to do until then?” Emma whispered.

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Regina, “What would _you_ like to do?”

Emma slowly raised her head, and she smiled at the brunette. “I, um— I think I’d like to— you know— _kiss you.”_

Regina lifted Emma’s chin gently with her fingers. “Have you ever kissed a woman before?”

“No,” said Emma, “I’ve never kissed anyone. Not on the lips, I mean. I used to kiss my parents on the cheek, but—”

Regina pressed a finger to the blonde’s lips. “Emma,” she murmured, “Hush.”

She slowly leaned in, waiting until Emma’s eyes slipped shut before pressing her lips against the girl’s in a feather-light kiss. The sensation sent pleasant chills down both their spines. It was almost like magic, if there was such a thing. When they each opened their eyes, they just stared at each other in pure wonder.

And then, without warning, Emma initiated the kiss this time, and she did so with fervor. Regina’s arms hooked around her slim shoulders, and they engaged in a rough, passionate kiss that left them both moaning and gasping into each other’s mouths.

“God, I _fucking_ love you,” Emma said with a groan.

Regina stared at her in shock. “Emma, you— you really mean that?”

Emma panted heavily. “Yeah,” she said, “Yeah, I do. How about you, Miss Mills?”

 _“Don’t,”_ Regina said quickly.

Emma frowned a bit, seemingly hurt. “What?”

“I mean, don’t call me Miss Mills. Not here. Not like this. Just call me Regina when we’re outside of school.”

“Oh,” Emma said, now relieved. A bright smile spread across her beautiful face. “Okay, _Regina.”_


	10. The Letter

Once Regina picked up Henry, she took him to her house so that he could unpack his things and get ready before they headed to the movies together. She was taking him to see _Endgame,_ and considering she’d already seen it, she didn’t have to worry about missing anything important or being distracted by Henry’s excitement.

As expected, Henry had to use the bathroom multiple times, so Regina would take him every so often despite his protests. He hated having to miss even a _second_ of the movie, so during their third trip to the bathroom, Regina assured him it would eventually be on Netflix so that he could watch it again and pause it whenever he wanted to. This certainly brightened his mood.

The next morning, Regina dropped Henry off at school before heading to work. She was a bit early, so when she walked into her classroom, she was stunned to find Emma sitting in the back. She blinked in surprise, but smiled.

“Emma? What are you doing here so early?”

Emma offered a slight shrug. “Just wanted to make sure I was here on time,” she said with a faint smile. It only became wider the longer she looked at Regina. “And I wanted to see my favorite teacher.”

Regina’s eyes gleamed. “It’s good to know you have such an affinity for learning,” she teased. Emma laughed, and hearing this made the brunette’s heart swell and sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Soon, the other students arrived, and Regina quietly closed the door as she flipped off the lights. She pulled up more videos relating to Greek mythology, as she needed a break from work just as much as her students did.

The first video she played was about how Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades decided who ruled what by drawing lots. Of course, Hades got the short end of the stick and was stuck with ruling the Underworld for all eternity, by no will of his own.

No matter how hard she tried, Regina couldn’t stop thinking about the events from the previous day. That was why she hadn’t been able to focus on anything else, even her lesson plan. Now here she was, sitting idly at her desk, lost in thought about how thrilling it had been to kiss her favorite student. She had never indulged in such an incredible kiss in all her life, not even when she was with Daniel. She knew she never wanted to kiss anyone but Emma Nolan ever again.

At the end of the day, Regina drove over to the elementary to pick up Henry, and he told her all about how he’d won an award for getting five gold stars in a row for good behavior. Regina pulled into the garage and walked inside with Henry to fix him a snack, which consisted of a glass of milk and two _Nutter Butters._ Regina went out to get the mail while he enjoyed his snack at the table.

In the mailbox, she found the newspaper, a fashion magazine, and a single envelope. There was no return address and no stamps. She looked it over in confusion, and on the back, she found the words **_For Regina_ **written in black crayon. She hadn’t even opened it yet and she had a pretty good idea who had sent it. This put a smile on her face as she made her way back inside.

“Mommy, do you wanna see my award?” Henry asked her.

“Of course, sweetheart,” she beamed, “Let’s see it.”

Henry opened up his bag and pulled out a laminated certificate with colorful letters that read _FIVE-STAR STUDENT!_ Regina smiled brightly at him and pulled him into a tight embrace, which he was quick to return.

“I am _so_ proud of you, Henry,” she told him, “I bet your dad’s going to be just as proud.”

“What about Aunt Zee?” asked the boy, “Will she be proud, too?”

Regina stiffened, but forced herself to retain a smile. “I’m sure she will, sweetheart. Why don’t you watch TV for a bit, hm?”

Henry just smiled at her. “Okay, Mommy!”

Regina headed down the hall to her bedroom and quietly closed the door, letting out a heavy sigh. If only he knew what he was saying. She tossed the newspaper and magazine on her nightstand but held onto the envelope. She retrieved an old letter opener from her desk and reluctantly removed the contents of the envelope. It was a single sheet of paper, neatly folded into three sections. She skimmed over it, and what she read made her eyes well with tears.

_Dear Regina,_

_I’m sorry if this is weird, but I wanted to reach out to you like this because it seemed more sentimental than a text. Also, I don’t have your number, so it’s not like that would work anyway. I just want you to know that you’re the best teacher I’ve ever had, and the nicest person I’ve ever known. I wasn’t lying when I said I loved you. I really, really do. I don’t know if the feeling is mutual or not, but I thought you needed to know that._

_The way you kissed me was incredible, and I’d love to do it again sometime. I thought we could start going up to the hill more often. In separate cars, obviously. I was thinking on the weekends? Maybe we could even have a little out of town trip, so nobody would know us. We could get a motel or something. I don’t know. I’m sorry if this seems desperate, or creepy, but I really love you, Regina Mills, and something tells me I always will._

_Yours truly,_

_The Swan._

_P.S: Did I mention that I love you?_

Regina was at a loss for words. So many questions ran through her mind, yet there was one that seemed to stick out the most. _Why ‘the Swan?’_ She was going to find out one way or another, though what she really wanted to know was where Emma wished to take her, and why. She tucked the letter back into the envelope and opened up the little safe in the back of her closet. She slipped the envelope inside with care and locked it securely, smiling all the while.

That night, she cooked spaghetti for Henry and they ate together happily while he told her all about his day, and just how much he loved her cooking. After dinner, they went into the living room and Regina sat comfortably on the couch while Henry laid in the floor, filling in a _Star Wars_ coloring book. Regina just smiled softly as Henry decided to flip on the TV instead, watching old reruns of _SpongeBob_ episodes.

Later, after tucking Henry in, Regina disappeared into her room and got ready for bed. She lied awake for what felt like an eternity, just staring up at the ceiling as her mind swam with thoughts of her beloved Emma. She slowly closed her eyes as sleep overtook her, and all was peaceful. She dreamt of her star pupil that night, and little did she know, Emma was dreaming of her, as well.


	11. The Cabin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet :)

The days passed rather quickly, and after numerous suggestive looks and smiles, it was finally Friday. It was a little past five o’clock, and Regina had just dropped Henry off at his father’s house and she was now making her way over to her family’s summer cabin just five miles outside of Storybrooke.

When she arrived at the cabin, she was surprised to find that Emma was already there, sitting quietly on the top step leading up onto the porch. Emma’s car was parked in the little shed behind the cabin, as Regina had advised.

“Hello, Emma,” the brunette said softly as she stepped out of the car.

Emma offered a smile and stood up from the creaky wooden step. “Hey,” she rasped.

She blushed a bit as Regina’s lips met hers in a searing kiss. A quiet moan escaped her as a result, and once the kiss was broken, she rested her head on Regina’s shoulder as the brunette’s arms hooked around her in a warm embrace.

“How long have you been waiting?” Regina asked her.

“About fifteen minutes, I think,” the blonde said, looking back up at her teacher.

“And what did you tell Kathryn?”

“That I was staying over at Ruby’s.”

“Does Ruby know about this?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. She said she’d cover for me if anyone asked.”

“I hope she stays true to her word,” said Regina, “Well, anyway, I’ve brought some things to make us dinner, and breakfast in the morning, if you’re up for it.”

Emma’s smile grew wider. “Sounds good to me.”

“Wonderful.” Regina delivered a quick kiss to Emma’s lips. “Will you help me carry the bags in? I’ve got them in the trunk.”

“Sure,” said Emma.

They carried the bags containing the food into the cabin and set everything down in the kitchen. Emma looked around, curious, at all the quaint décor. She was especially-fascinated by the antler chandelier above the kitchen table. Regina smiled upon noticing the look of awe in those soft green eyes.

“I take it you like the chandelier?”

“Yeah,” said Emma, “It’s pretty awesome.”

“I’ve always thought so, too.”

Emma looked to the stove where Regina was gathering up several ingredients. “So, um, what are you gonna make?”

“Lasagna,” said Regina, “I hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’s been a while since I had any.”

“Would you like to help me?” asked the brunette.

Emma was surprised by the offer. “Um, I don’t know where to start.”

“I’ll show you how, if you want. It isn’t too hard, I promise.”

Emma hesitated. “Okay,” she said quietly.

Despite her initial uncertainty, Emma got the hang of things relatively quickly. She and Regina were both smiling brightly as they spent the next half-hour preparing the lasagna to go into the pan, which Regina then slid into the oven to bake. The brunette surprised Emma with a loving kiss, holding her close as they stood there in the middle of the kitchen.

“Emma?” Regina murmured.

“Yeah?”

“I kept meaning to thank you for the letter. I just couldn’t find the right moment to say it. It really means a lot to me, you know.”

Emma’s smile widened. “I’m glad,” she said, “I was hoping it wouldn’t come off as weird.”

Regina shook her head. “It isn’t weird at all,” she assured, “It’s actually very sweet of you.” She cupped Emma’s cheek gently and kissed the blonde once more. “And very much appreciated,” she murmured.

Emma shifted a bit awkwardly, which Regina found somewhat concerning.

“What’s the matter, dear?”

“I— I really want to hold you,” said Emma, “but I’m afraid to touch you.”

“Don’t be,” Regina said softly. She guided the timid blonde’s hands to her waist. “As long as we’re alone, you can hold me all you like.”

This brought the smile back to Emma’s face. “Awesome.”

The two of them enjoyed a lovely, candlelit dinner, during which Emma continuously complimented Regina’s cooking. After they were finished, Emma helped the brunette clean the dishes. After a while of kissing and making small talk, they both began to grow tired.

“I’m heading to bed,” said Regina.

“Yeah, I think I will, too,” said Emma, “Which room are you taking?”

“The master bedroom,” Regina told her, “Do you want to join me? It has a king-sized bed. There will be more than enough room for both of us.”

Emma just stared at the brunette in wonder. “Are— Are you sure?”

Regina offered a knowing smile and took Emma’s hand ever so gently. “Come on,” she murmured, “We’ve already come this far. We might as well share a bed.”

“Is— Is that, um, _all_ we’ll be doing?”

Regina was quiet for a moment. “I love you, Emma, you know I do,” she said, “but I can’t do that. Not yet.”

“What more is there to lose? You said it yourself, Regina. We’ve already come this far. What’s the harm?”

Again, Regina hesitated. “When will you be eighteen?”

“In three weeks.”

“Then we will meet back here in three weeks,” said Regina, “Only then will I consider it.”

“Well, what are we gonna do now?” asked Emma.

Regina cupped the blonde’s face in her hands. “We’re going to go to sleep, and in the morning, I’m going to make you breakfast.” And once they were both lying in bed, she planted a soft kiss upon Emma’s lips. _“Sweet dreams, Emma,”_ she murmured.


	12. The Accident

They came to an agreement: the only way Emma would receive anything more than a kiss would be if she graduated, which Regina adamantly believed was inevitable. Emma, on the other hand, was not so sure.

“You can do it, Emma,” the brunette told her with a smile, “I believe in you.”

“Well, what if _I_ don’t believe in me?” Emma countered.

“Then I would like to know why,” said Regina.

Emma sighed, hugging herself tightly. “He might be in prison, but I lived under _his_ control for seven years, Regina. He had a way of getting into my head, making me think I was weak and worthless.”

Seeing the tears starting to well in her young lover’s eyes, Regina placed her hands gently onto Emma’s shoulders, which drew the girl’s eyes up to hers. “Emma,” she murmured, “I can’t imagine what that must be like, but he can’t hurt you anymore. He has no power over you. You’re safe now, with your aunt and uncle.” She retained her reassuring smile. “You’re safe with _me.”_

Emma let out a sob, hooking her arms around Regina’s midriff and crying onto the woman’s shoulder. “I’ve never felt safer with anyone than with you. Not even Aunt Kathryn or Uncle Jim. Hell, not even my own parents!”

“Emma, don’t say that,” said Regina, “I’m sure your parents would have done anything to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Emma relented, “I know it’s only been seven years, but it feels like a lifetime since the Accident. It’s like they’re just a dream now. It’s almost like they were never even here.” She looked up at Regina with tears in her eyes. “Will you go with me, Regina?”

“Go where, darling?”

“To visit them,” Emma said quietly, “in the cemetery.”

Regina offered a small nod, along with a look of remorse. “Of course I will.” She held Emma close to her, cradling the blonde’s head while she consoled her weeping student. “I’m so sorry, Emma,” she murmured.

* * *

 

When the time came, Emma and Regina drove out to the cemetery (in different cars, of course) to pay their respects to their loved ones. They first visited the graves of Emma’s parents, David and Mary-Margaret Nolan. The memories came flooding back into Emma’s mind like it happened only yesterday. In that moment, she decided to do something she’d never done with anyone else before, not even Kathryn and Jim. She spoke about the death of her parents.

_It was raining one night, and Emma— just ten years-old— was at home with her babysitter, Johanna, while her parents went out to dinner for their twelfth anniversary. They were going to their favorite restaurant, Marco’s, to enjoy some authentic Italian cuisine. As Emma later learned, they did get there and have dinner. They just never came home._

_Their car was struck head-on by a drunk driver, who was also killed in the horrific crash. That man’s name was Amos Slade. He was riding through town, inebriated, and swerving in the road. With him that dreadful night was his beloved hunting dog, Copper. The dog survived the longest out of all of them, but died not long after the paramedics arrived._

_After that, Emma began living with her demented uncle, who took to drinking in an attempt to cope with the loss of his twin brother. That was when the abuse started, though he hadn’t exactly been all that nice to begin with. Emma’s parents were always loving and kind, and encouraged her to do her best. James Nolan, on the other hand, was hateful and unrelenting, and no matter what Emma did, or how hard she tried, it was never good enough for him._

_It wasn’t until Emma was seventeen that her wicked uncle brought her to live in the shitty trailer park in Storybrooke, where he, his siblings, and his sister-in-law had all grown up and gone to school. Storybrooke was quiet, not at all like the city, so there would be no traffic jams, nor the constant honking of horns._

_James Nolan kept his niece on a tight leash. She would go to school and come straight home. No going anywhere else. No making friends or inviting them over. No phone, computer, or car. No watching **his** TV. No touching **his** things— namely the booze and the guns. No going outside without **his** permission. And most importantly, no defying **his** authority. But now he was gone, and there was nothing he could do to hurt Emma. At least, not physically._

“That’s terrible, Emma,” Regina said quietly, placing a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, “I’m so sorry.”

Emma wiped her tears away with her sleeve. “Thanks,” she rasped, “It’s hard, not having them around.” She looked to Regina with a somber smile. “But if I hadn’t come here, I never would have met you,” she said, “so, there’s that.”

“Is this your way of telling me I’m the light in your darkness?”

Emma shrugged. “Something like that, I guess. You said it better than I ever could.” She looked around awkwardly. “So, um, is your dad buried here?”

Regina gave a small nod. “Yes,” she said sadly, “Up on the hill, beneath the old apple tree.” She paused a moment. “Would you like to join me?”

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna, like, be in the way or anything.”

“Nonsense,” said Regina, “I think having you with me will make this a little less depressing. You could be my sunshine on this cloudy day.”

Heat rose to Emma’s cheeks. “You really _do_ have a way with words.”

Regina chuckled. “If you say so.”

She and Emma went up to the hill where her father’s grave was. Engraved in the stone was the name _Henry Mills,_ followed by _Beloved Father._ She now had tears in her eyes as well, and let out an uncontrollable sob.

“Hi, Daddy,” she said, “It’s— It’s been a while, I know, and I’m sorry for that. I’ve just been a bit busy lately. This is Emma Nolan. She’s quite a bit younger than me, but I love her very much, and I’m sure you would love her, too, if only you were here.” She took hold of Emma’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I hope you’re happy, Daddy, wherever you are. I love you.”


	13. Three Weeks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: severe injuries and depression.* I genuinely cried while writing this and couldn't stop. This is a sad chapter.

Emma and Regina were sitting at the old picnic table up in the hills, staring out at the beautifully-lit town below. The moon was full, shining down on them almost like a spotlight. They weren’t saying much. They just enjoyed the serene silence between them, and the occasional chirp of a bird or a cricket in the distance. Emma was mindlessly fiddling with a twig when all of a sudden, an idea struck her like a freight train. She turned, not saying so much as a word, and began scratching the twig against the surface of the table.

Regina arched an eyebrow at her. “What are you doing, dear?”

“Just watch,” Emma said softly.

And so Regina watched. The young blonde etched a crude _E+R_ into the table, with a scratchy heart-shape surrounding it all. Despite the fact that she was laying witness to a petty crime, Regina found the gesture sweet, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Emma,” she murmured.

Emma’s eyes were alight with pride and joy, and she, too, was smiling. “Thanks. I was hoping you’d like it.”

Regina just nodded slowly, and was quiet for a moment. She sat back, crossing a leg over the other and placing her hands in her lap. Her smile remained, though it was now faint— a shadow of what it once was.

“Emma,” she said gently, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

Emma looked at her expectantly, but also with mild concern. “Yeah? What is it?”

Regina turned to the blonde with an unreadable look in her eyes. “What will you do once you graduate?”

“I dunno,” Emma muttered with a slight shrug, “Right now I just wanna focus on actually graduating.”

Again, Regina gave a small nod. “And what about us?” she asked, “Will you still want to be with me, even after you’re out of school?”

“Totally,” said Emma, “I love you, Regina.”

Regina’s smile returned, though only a little. “I love you, too,” she murmured.

Emma leaned her head on the brunette’s shoulder and her eyes slipped shut. She was quiet for a moment. “Regina?”

“Yes, dear?”

“I— I don’t wanna lose you.”

Regina brought an arm around the blonde, holding her gently. “You won’t lose me, sweetheart. I’m right here.”

Once more, Emma hesitated. “What happens if we get caught?”

“Then I’ll most likely lose my job.”

Emma stiffened, looking up at Regina in horror. “Even though this is consensual?”

“The law won’t see it that way. You’re still a minor, and in high school. I could get in a lot of trouble for this. I could even go to jail. Don’t you understand why I’m so cautious about this? Why I want to wait until you’re old enough? I care about you, Emma. I love you, more than you can possibly imagine, but at the same time, I don’t want us to get caught.”

“…Regina? What are you trying to say?”

Tears welled in the brunette’s eyes, and she gave Emma’s hand a firm squeeze. “We can’t keep doing this, Emma. Not until you turn eighteen,” she rasped, “On your birthday, if you’re available— or if you feel like it— I want you to meet me at my cabin. Until then, it’s too risky.”

Now Emma was in tears. “Regina, I— I can’t live without you.”

“You’ll still see me in school, dear. We just can’t keep meeting like this until you’re eighteen. It won’t be that long. Just a few more weeks.”

“Yeah, but it’ll feel like a whole lot longer,” Emma rasped.

Regina sighed. “I know, darling, I know,” she said softly, “but just think: once you’re eighteen and out of school, we can _really_ be together. We won’t have to sneak around anymore. You’ll be an adult, and no one will be able to stop you.”

Emma just nodded, but it was clear to Regina that she didn’t entirely understand. “Okay,” she said quietly, “Can I at least have a kiss?”

“Of course,” said Regina, “Let’s make it count.”

* * *

 

The bell rang, and Regina looked to the door to see if Emma would walk in, but the blonde never came. She suppressed a sigh. She knew now that she should have expected the girl’s absence, but in all honesty, she’d believed Emma would come around. There was still time. Just three more weeks. Three weeks, and Emma would be eighteen. Three months, and she would graduate. They could be together, if only Emma would show up and do her homework on time.

Emma didn’t show up that day, or the next, but she finally showed up on the third day with her head down and her books held tight to her chest. She didn’t look at Regina even once, and she never gave any commentary regarding that day’s lesson. She never said so much as a word, which Regina found concerning.

When class was over, Regina asked to speak with Emma, and was shocked to see the dark circles under the girl’s eyes.

“Emma? Have you been sleeping?”

Emma was quiet for a moment, but slowly shook her head. “No,” she whispered, “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“I’m sorry if I upset you, dear, but this is serious. Three weeks, Emma,” Regina said softly, “and then three months until graduation.”

“It’s almost winter break,” said Emma. She looked to the window at the fallen leaves. “And it hasn’t even snowed yet. Isn’t that weird?”

Regina just nodded. “I suppose so,” she said, “though I’ve never liked snow.”

Emma gave a tight smile. “Me neither.”

Regina returned the smile, but hers was more genuine. “Have you thought about what I said?”

“You mean about the cabin?”

Again, Regina nodded, but said nothing.

Emma hesitated. “I’ll try to be there,” she said quietly, “but I can’t promise anything. Aunt Kathryn will probably want to take me out to dinner.”

“Well, there’s always the following weekend,” said Regina.

Emma sighed. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

“Okay,” Regina murmured, “Just promise me you’ll try to get some rest.”

Emma offered a small nod. “I’ll try,” she said.

“Wonderful. Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Aunt Kathryn doesn’t want me missing any more school.”

“Nor do I, dear,” said Regina, “Nor do I. I’ve missed you.”

Emma’s smile became sincere. “Me too,” she whispered.

* * *

 

_Three weeks._

It was supposed to be perfect. Nothing bad could have happened in three weeks. _Right?_ That was what Regina had been so sure of, but now? Now, Emma was in the hospital. In a cruel twist of fate, the girl had been struck by a car, and in that car was Ruby and Quinn. The two were beyond drunk. The irony was cold, and yet Regina’s heart felt as though someone had doused it in gasoline and set it ablaze. Her rage was an inferno that could not be extinguished.

Ruby was in jail for drinking and driving, as well as causing Emma’s injuries. Quinn hadn’t been driving, but he was also sent to jail for underage drinking. Thankfully for everyone, Emma seemed to be in a relatively-stable condition. Her heart was beating normally, but she was comatose. She had a few cracked ribs, a broken left arm, and a head injury.

Regina came in one day to check on Emma’s condition. It was here that she found Kathryn crying quietly over the unconscious blonde.

“Kathryn?” she asked softly.

The woman looked up at the brunette with tearful eyes. “Regina,” she rasped, taking note of the flowers in the teacher’s hands, “You didn’t have to do that.”

“It seemed like the right thing to do,” Regina murmured, “How is she?”

Kathryn cleared her throat. “Stable,” she said, “She seems to be recovering well enough.” A sob escaped her as she squeezed Emma’s hand. “I just wish she would wake up. She doesn’t deserve this, Regina.”

Regina shook her head, struggling not to cry herself. “No,” she murmured, “No one does.” She set the bouquet down on the counter next to the sink, alongside several others. “If you need anything, Kathryn, just let me know. I want you to know that I’m here for you, if you ever need me.”

Kathryn just nodded, wiping her tears away with the back of her thumb. “Thank you, Regina,” she said quietly.

“I should be going now,” said Regina, “I don’t want to be in the way of things.”

Kathryn shook her head. “You aren’t in the way,” she said, “Why don’t you stay for a bit? We could use the company.”

“Of course,” said Regina.

She took a seat next to Kathryn, not saying a word as she studied Emma’s bruised face. The girl looked like she was just sleeping— like she would wake up at any given moment— but Regina wasn’t about to get her hopes up. After a while (she wasn’t how long, exactly), Regina stood up with her purse slung over her shoulder.

“I really should be going,” she said remorsefully, “I have to get home and make dinner.” She was quiet for a moment. “I meant what I said, Kathryn. If you need anything, just ask.”

“Okay,” Kathryn whispered, “Thanks, Regina.”

Regina turned away, unable to look at Emma’s face any longer. “Anytime.”

She climbed into her car, and the moment she closed the door, she broke out into heavy, angry, bitter tears, pounding her fist against the wheel and gritting her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. She had her fists clenched to the point that her knuckles had turned white and her nails were digging into her palms, drawing a bit of blood.

She drove home, eventually, and when she walked inside, she found Henry in the living room playing _Candyland_ with the babysitter, Alice. Both Henry and Alice were concerned when they saw the dark streaks running down her face from where her makeup had melded with her sorrow.

“Miss Mills? Is everything alright?”

“Don’t worry about me, E— _Alice,”_ Regina said, almost slipping. She pulled out a twenty for the two hours Alice had watched Henry. “Here’s twenty dollars,” she said softly as she handed it to the worried blonde. Though she was seeing Alice, she could think of no one but her beloved Emma.

“Thank you, Miss Mills,” Alice said as she accepted the money, “I hope everything’s okay.”

“Me too,” Regina whispered.

Once Alice was gone, Regina went in the kitchen, setting her purse on the counter, and went to the sink. She gripped the edge of the sink with trembling hands and hung her head in defeat as she cried silently. After a moment, she felt a gentle tugging at her sleeve and looked to find Henry staring up at her with a look of worry, as well as a slight frown.

“What’s the matter, Mommy?”

A sob forced its way out of Regina’s lips, and she knelt down, pulling the boy into a tight embrace. “Mommy’s just going through a lot right now,” she told him, “Don’t you worry about me, sweetheart.”

“I love you,” Henry whispered.

Regina’s lip trembled, even as she found herself smiling despite her tears. “I love you, too,” she breathed, “More than you can possibly imagine.” She cleared her throat. “Why don’t you go in the living room and watch TV while I make dinner?”

“Okay, Mommy.”

Henry made his way back into the living room, but not before pausing to look back at his mother in concern. She was still on the floor next to the counter, hugging her knees to her chest with her head down. The boy went to his room to get his construction paper and crayons, and he lied on the carpet while he went to work.

* * *

 

Later, as Regina took her seat at the table, she was left taken aback when Henry handed her a folded piece of red construction paper with a large smiley face drawn on the front with a crayon. She opened it, stunned, and found the words _Hope you feel better, Mommy_ written on the inside. Each letter was a different color. Just when Regina thought she had run out of tears, more began to slip down her cheeks.

“Thank you, sweetie,” she rasped, “You don’t know how much this means to me.” She reached out and stroked Henry’s head gently. “And I’m sure I’ll feel better,” she told him, _“eventually.”_


	14. Graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much happier than the last!

A little over a month after the accident, during a particularly-rainy afternoon, the rain suddenly stopped pouring, and Emma Nolan awoke from her coma. She was understandably terrified to find herself inexplicably hooked up to beeping machines in a sterile hospital room. Her fear only skyrocketed when the memories of what had happened came flooding back into her mind like a raging river.

As luck would have it, a nurse happened to walk in just moments after she regained consciousness and gasped upon seeing that she was awake.

“Emma, honey? How do you feel? Do you remember what happened?”

“I— yeah. I remember.” Tears welled in Emma’s eyes. “It hurts. It hurts so damn bad.”

The nurse pressed the red button on the wall, and within seconds, another nurse came rushing into the room.

“Go get Doctor Whale. Tell him Emma Nolan is awake.”

The other nurse nodded and disappeared as quickly as she’d arrived.

* * *

 

It was difficult, readjusting to her normal life. Emma supposed it would never really be ‘normal’ again, at least not anytime soon. She would always be remembered as the girl whose friends hit her with their car, as Ruby and Quinn would always be remembered as the perpetrators.

Emma was wheelchair-bound for a while, not wanting to put so much pressure on her body, but after some time, she decided it would be best if she tried walking again, even though she absolutely _hated_ using crutches. She was a little behind her school work, but luckily, she was allowed to get some after school tutoring with Mr. Locksley. Math was easily her most difficult subject.

She was doing much better, not just in school, of course, but in general. She had graduation to look forward to, and later, she and Regina could truly be together.

* * *

 

After hours and hours of trying her best to catch up, she’d finally done it. Emma Nolan was going to graduate from Storybrooke High.

At long last, the big day rolled around, and as she walked across that stage with only the slightest limp, donning her white cap and gown, she had never felt prouder. Tears of pure joy slipped down her cheeks as she accepted her diploma and had her picture taken for the local paper.

And as she was walking down the steps to rejoin her classmates, she looked out towards her Aunt and Uncle and just so happened to lock eyes with Regina, who was standing along the wall in the back, and Emma couldn’t contain the wide grin that spread across her face.

Just a few days later, Emma went and applied for a job at the flower shop. She was hired the next day. To celebrate all her achievements, Emma went out to eat with Kathryn and Jim, and afterwards, she drove down to the comic store to pick up the latest edition of _Shazam!_ And who should she find there but Regina and Henry?

“Hello, Emma,” Regina greeted, “I trust life is treating you well?”

“It is now,” said Emma, “but it could be a little better, to be honest.”

“Yes, I imagine so,” said the brunette, “You know, I never got the chance to give you this.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small beige box with a red bow on top. “I was planning on giving it to you for your birthday, but clearly, that didn’t work out. I hope you like it.”

Emma smiled. “I’m sure I will,” she murmured.

She slowly opened up the little box and was left speechless when she saw what was inside. It was a silver swan pendant with a matching chain. Her eyes welled with tears.

“Regina, it’s beautiful,” she breathed, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Emma. Be sure to look under the lid.”

“Huh? Oh.” Emma’s smile only widened when she saw Regina’s number written on the inside. “I love it,” she said, “and I love _you.”_

“I love you, too, Emma,” Regina rasped, “Be sure to let me know if the necklace fits. If not, I can take it back. I still have the receipt.”

Emma shook her head. “I wouldn’t dream of returning this. It’s perfect, Regina, just like you.”

“Not as perfect as you,” the brunette told her.

Henry came hurrying over before Emma could respond, and he clung to Regina like lint. “Mommy, can I have the _Shazam_ action-figure?”

Regina smiled warmly at him. “How much is it, dear?”

“Ten dollars.”

“Well, I suppose that would be alright.” Regina gave an apologetic look to Emma. “See you around, Emma.”

The blonde smiled. “Yeah. You too.”

* * *

 

Later, as Emma was lying in bed, she sent Regina a text. _Hey._

The brunette was quick to reply. _Hello. Is this who I think it is?_

Emma grinned and chuckled. _Yeah. It’s your favorite blonde._

_What are you up to right now, Emma?_

_Just hanging out and talking to you :)_

_Would you like to meet me at the cabin this weekend?_

_What do I tell Aunt Kathryn?_

_Say you’re going to the mall over in Portland. You won’t be lying because that’s where I intend to take you._

_What about the cabin?_

_Oh, we’ll still meet there, too._

_What happened to being open about all this?_

_It’s too soon, Emma. Don’t you see?_

_Well, when won’t it be?_

_I don’t know. I thought I had this all figured out, but I’ve been incredibly stressed as of late, thinking you might not recover, and I just couldn’t handle the thought of losing you, Emma._

_I don’t wanna lose you, either. I love you._

_I love you, too._

* * *

 

That weekend, Emma drove out to Regina’s cabin, and the two of them rode up to Portland in the Benz. Once there, they held hands as they shopped. They may have even kissed once or twice (alright, five times), and it was a struggle for them not to full-on make out in the middle of Target.

By the time they were done just a few hours later, it was just the middle of the afternoon, but they both decided to head back to Regina’s cabin for the night. Only when they arrived back did Regina reveal what all she had purchased.

“I made a quick trip to Spencer’s,” she confessed, “and I purchased a little something I thought you might like.”

Emma’s eyes widened when she saw it. “You— You bought a strap-on?”

“I did. Do you not like it?”

“I don’t know yet,” said Emma, “but I’m willing to try it.”

A soft smile graced Regina’s lips. “Wonderful.”

“I had no idea you were so kinky, Regina.”

The brunette chuckled. “I told you, dear, I wouldn’t pursue a sexual relationship with you until you had graduated,” she said, “but now that you have, well, let’s just say I would like nothing more than to please you.”

“Are we gonna, like, role-play or whatever?”

“We can if you want to. Anything particular in mind?”

Emma blushed, but smiled. “I, uh, was thinking we could maybe do, you know, a teacher-student situation? Like, I’m late for class and you have to punish me.”

“I couldn’t have thought of a better scenario myself,” said Regina, “What’s your safe-word?”

“Hmm,” said Emma, “I think ‘apple’ would be good.”

Regina nodded. “Excellent choice.”


	15. Two Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time-jump.

Emma pulled up to Regina’s house in her little yellow car with a bright smile on her face. She had finished all of her finals, and now she was moving back home, not just for the summer, but for good. It seemed college wasn’t for her, after all. She had her Associate’s, and she felt that was enough. She hadn’t walked at graduation. She didn’t have it in her to walk in front of all those people. Just thinking about it made her nervous.

Instead, she thought of Regina, and how proud the brunette would be once she broke the news. She stepped out of the car, which was packed to the brim, and made her way up to the door. She rang the bell and waited patiently with a bright smile. It only widened when the door opened, and she found herself face to face with Regina.

The woman was stunned speechless when she saw Emma standing before her. “Emma,” she breathed. Her eyes welled with joyful tears. “I had no idea you were coming home. I wish you had told me. I would have cleaned this place up. It’s a bit of a mess.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Emma told her, “I’ll help you clean up. I just wanted to surprise you.”

Regina’s smile grew wider, and she pulled the blonde into a warm embrace. “You certainly did,” she murmured, “I’ve missed you, darling.”

“You too,” Emma told her.

They went inside and Regina made some cocoa with cinnamon and whipped cream, just the way Emma liked it.

“So,” said Regina, “how has life been treating you?”

“I was stressed for a while,” Emma said as she sipped her cocoa, “You know, finals and everything, but once it was over, I felt alright again.”

Regina smiled. “I’m glad.”

“I got my Associate’s.”

“I am _so proud_ of you, Emma.”

“But I, uh— I didn’t walk. Is that okay?”

“Of course. That was always up to you. I just hope you don’t come to regret it. Will you walk next time?”

“Uh, I don’t think there’s gonna be a ‘next time,’” said Emma.

Regina cocked her head in confusion. “And why not?”

“I’m just not cut out for college life. I tried, not just for me, but for you, because I knew how proud it made you, but I can’t do it anymore, Regina.”

The brunette just nodded. “Very well. If that’s what you wish to do, then I won’t stop you. Just tell me one thing,” she said, “What will you do now?”

Emma offered a hopeful smile. “I’ve thought a lot about getting a job at the comic store. Do you think that would be good?”

The grin that spread across Regina’s face lit up the room like a second sun. “I think that would be _wonderful,”_ she said, “Go for it, Emma. If that’s your dream, then by all means, _live it.”_

“Thanks, Regina.”

The brunette leaned over and kissed her sweetly, and both their eyes slipped shut. A soft moan escaped her lips.

“I should help you clean up,” she whispered.

“No,” murmured Regina, “It can wait.”

* * *

 

A while later, the two of them were curled up together beneath the warm covers, just enjoying the sound of each other’s gentle breathing. Their clothes were in piles on the floor. Regina had her arms around Emma, holding the blonde close to her.

“Emma?” she asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to move in with me?”

Emma’s eyes flew open and she gaped at Regina in shock. “Did I hear that right? You really want me to?”

Regina smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

“You mean you don’t care about people being weird about it? What if it’s too soon?”

“If you want to wait a while, that’s perfectly fine. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow, next week, or even next month. You can think about it for as long as you need, dear. There’s no hurry.”

“Okay,” Emma said quietly, “I’ll think about it.”

* * *

 

She went back to her Aunt and Uncle’s house later that evening, surprising them as much as she’d surprised Regina. They were proud of her, too, which brought her a great sense of comfort and warmth.

That night, the three of them ate pizza to celebrate, and later, ice cream while they watched _Stranger Things 3_ in its entirety— a perfect combo.

Later, as Emma lied awake in her bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about Regina’s offer. She _did_ want to move in, but the fear of judgement was eating away at her. What would people say? What would they think?

It was too soon. Even after two years, it was too soon. Everyone would suspect that they’d been together while she was still a student, and although that was the case, Emma knew it would not look good for either of them— _especially_ Regina.

She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text. _I can’t sleep. Keep thinking about what you said._

Regina’s reply came less than a minute later. _I told you, it doesn’t have to be right now. There’s no need to worry, Emma. I love you._

A smile tugged at Emma’s lips. _Love you, too :)_

_So how are things over there?_

_Great! We had pizza and ice cream and watched Stranger Things._

_Excellent combo :)_

_Haha yeah, that’s what I said._

_Maybe one of these days, you and I could do something like that._

_That sounds awesome!_

_Wonderful. I’ll see you tomorrow?_

_Yeah :) Can’t wait._

* * *

 

Emma and Regina were out walking in the park, hand in hand. It was quiet. There was no one else around, likely because it looked like it was about to rain, but neither woman minded. “So,” said Regina, “did you have any dreams last night?”

“Dreams? Um, not that I can remember. Why?”

Regina chuckled. “I dreamt that you were sitting on my couch wearing a fake mustache and eating grape jelly straight out of the jar.”

Emma snorted. “What the hell? Is that supposed to be symbolic?”

“Doubtful,” said Regina, “I’m no Joseph.”

“Huh?”

“You know, Joseph, the interpreter of dreams?”

“Oh, like from the Bible? It’s been so long since I read one. Mom was a Christian, and I’m sure she wanted me to be one, too, but she never, like, forced me or anything. I think Dad was, too, but he never really talked about it. Sometimes it’s hard to remember them. That makes me sad. I want to remember them, but it’s like my mind doesn’t. Does that make sense?”

“I think I see what you mean,” said Regina, “You’re trying to keep the memory of them alive, but your brain is actively attempting to suppress those memories, likely due to trauma. Does that sound about right?”

Emma shrugged. “I guess so. That’s probably the best way to describe it.” She was silent for a moment. “So, uh, whatever happened to Ruby and Quinn?”

“Ruby moved away,” Regina told her, “and Quinn took up drinking. Thank God he had his license revoked. The last thing anyone needs is for him to get behind the wheel again.”

“Yeah,” Emma said quietly.

Regina placed a hand upon the blonde’s back. “We don’t have to talk about them anymore.”

Emma gave a small nod. “Okay,” she rasped.

* * *

 

Days passed, and one rainy afternoon, Emma went over to Regina’s house to see the kitten the brunette had brought home from the shelter. It was a little orange tabby, who seemed content in his new home.

“What’d you name him?” asked Emma.

Regina smiled. “Erik,” she said, “like Erik the Red.”

Emma laughed. “That’s cute. I like it.” She lifted him up onto her lap and stroked his head gently, making him purr. “Aren’t you precious?” she cooed, “I just _know_ you’re gonna love it here. Regina’s gonna take good care of you.”

* * *

 

As Erik grew, so did his love of Regina. Wherever she went, he followed. He was very talkative, to say the least. Of course, Henry adored the sleek cat as well, and it seemed the feeling was mutual.

Emma got a job at the comic store, and Regina came in each week with Henry so he could browse for comics. Regina, however, was really there to see her blonde lover. One warm evening in July, Emma was sitting on the picnic table up in the hills, hoping that Regina would come. When the sun began to set, the brunette arrived at their special place and their lips met in a shameless kiss.

“What did you want to tell me?” Regina murmured.

Emma hooked her arms around the brunette’s shoulders. “I want to move in,” she said, “I don’t want to hide anymore.”

Tears welled in Regina’s eyes and she cupped Emma’s face gently. “I was hoping you’d say that.” She kissed the blonde once more. “I love you, Emma.”

Emma smiled. “Love you, too, Regina.”


	16. Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter, you guys!!

Seven years had passed since Emma graduated from high school. Now twenty-five, she lived with Regina and found a new job at a local craft store, which— admittedly— she loved far more than the comic store.

Currently, she was at home vacuuming in the living room, and Erik was hiding somewhere (likely under her and Regina’s bed) due to his immense fear of the vacuum. Emma wanted to surprise Regina, so she’d spent the entire day cleaning up the house. Today was the seventh anniversary of when she had moved in, making their relationship official.

Of course there were questions— _many_ questions— but with no proof that Emma had been in a relationship with Regina while in high school, there was nothing anyone could do. Still, people had their suspicions, but Emma and Regina had become adept at bending the truth in a way that seemed believable.

They hated the fact that they had to lie, but they knew it was a necessary evil. When asked, they each claimed that they had begun seeing each other three years after Emma graduated, and that it started when they ran into one another at the Rabbit Hole one night.

When Regina walked into the house, she was pleasantly surprised to find Emma vacuuming. “Oh Emma, you’re such a sweetheart,” she said with a smile, “You didn’t have to do all this!”

Emma blushed and smiled back at her. “I wanted to do something nice for you. I, um, also made you a gift, from stuff I got at Weaver’s. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Regina stood there with a wide smile as she watched Emma disappear into their room, and return just moments later with a small box wrapped neatly in shiny red paper with a white ribbon. When Emma handed it to her, she opened it with joyful tears in her eyes as she saw what was inside.

It was a shiny apple pendant on a thin but sturdy silver chain. The apple was red and shimmered in the sunlight, and the leave protruding from the top with a lovely emerald-green.

“Thank you, Emma,” she rasped, “It’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. You have no idea how much this means to me.” She kissed Emma sweetly. “I made us reservations at Ivy’s. I hope that’s alright.”

Emma’s smile only widened. “It’s perfect,” she said.

* * *

 

Later, after Emma was finished with her meal, she got up to use the restroom, and when she returned, she was surprised to find the waiter bringing out cheesecake drizzled in chocolate with strawberries. She was visibly confused when she took her seat.

“I don’t remember ordering dessert,” she said.

Regina smiled. “I ordered it while you were in the restroom.”

“What? I wasn’t gone _that_ long, was I?”

“No, dear. They already had some made.”

“Oh. Okay. Thanks, but I, uh, don’t think I can eat another bite.”

Regina’s smile just grew wider. “Oh, I think you’ll _love_ this,” she said, reaching over and turning Emma’s plate around.

Emma’s eyes almost burst from her skull when she saw it. On the plate was a line of chocolate that looped around, and in the center of said loop was a breathtaking diamond ring. Tears filled her eyes, and she let out a quiet sob. It was absolutely beautiful.

“Emma Nolan,” said Regina, “will you marry me?”

Emma didn’t hesitate. _“Yes,”_ she breathed, “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you so much, Regina.”

“I love you too, _Emma Mills.”_

Emma was in awe. “Emma Mills,” she rasped. A wide grin spread across her face. “I like the sound of that.”


End file.
